Titanium
by JZ65
Summary: Beca became titanium. With a painful past, all the DJ wanted was to be bullet proof... and she was, until a redhead walked into her life, more accurately, her shower. Now trying to understand their very close friendship, which both want to be much more than friends, can Beca let down her guard? Can Chloe bandage the rusty heart of the snarky DJ? Welcome to Barden. Also Jesse/Aubrey
1. Reputations

**So this is going to sort of like the movie, but not exactly... obviously. Saw the movie and I haven't been able to get the Beca/Chloe pairing out of my head. Seriously, drove me insane. If you've seen the movie, this will make a lot of sense to you. If not... you need to see the movie, it's awesome. Some things are changed in this fiction to fit this plot line. Don't hate because it's not exact to the movie, because it's not going to be. It is different.**

**I don't own Pitch Perfect.**

**-JZ**

* * *

"Barden University." A young brunette muttered as the cab driver got out to help her with her bags. He nodded, loading two duffle bags, and reaching for the third. "I got that." She cut him off, gingerly snatching the case up and packing it into the trunk herself.

"Alright Miss, that all your bags?" He questioned with a smile, only to have a stoic expression returned.

"Yeah."

"Gotta move it, Mister." One of the airport traffic directors ushered them away, and the driver sighed, quickly getting into the cab. Double checking to make sure she put her seatbelt on, he smiled. "I'm Jimmy, and the ride should be about twenty minutes."

"Whatever." The brunette shrugged, staring out the window as the cab drove away.

"So kid, the university, huh? You excited?" The middle-aged cab driver asked in a gravely tone, glancing in the rearview mirror. The young girl had huge headphones on, her fingers tapping to a rhythm. She had faded tight jeans on, and a black tanktop with a black and white plaid button up shirt. The long sleeves were rolled up to her elbows, and a black leather band was around one wrist. After receiving no response, he just nodded to himself and allowed the silent ride to ensue.

Jimmy was very good at reading people, which came in handy with his job. He could tell the types: business man, drunk, quitting drunk, jock, lowlife, law enforcement… any type really. He could figure someone out by the time they reached a destination. It actually became a little game to him, and Jimmy loved to hear about all the adventures of these people. Of course, the overly talkative or pissed off people were annoying. He hated having to drive around mad people. They were rude, pissy, stupid, and had little regard for him. But this girl, he was intrigued. She was obviously a freshman, but she acted so different and so confident. Normally the students he drove would be rambling on and on, typically out of nervousness, or biting their nails as they dread the change. The brunette listened to her music, emotionlessly staring out the window, completely indifferent to the start of the rest of her life.

At the end of the ride, Jimmy sighed in defeat. Not often did he lose, but today was a failure. He could not figure the young student out, and frankly, he was mildly annoyed by that admission. "Would you like help with your bags?" He offered, more out of politeness than anything.

"No." She had taken the headphones off her ears, letting them hang around her neck. Pulling out some cash, she handed it over and got out without another word. Someone had a cart, and one of the guys smiled, standing in a Barden University polo.

"Welcome to BU." He grinned, motioning to a cart. "I can load your stuff on here."

"Whatever." She shrugged carelessly, pulling out her black case, and glancing around the campus. It was decently sized, and kids everywhere were carrying around bags and boxes, wheeling carts around like an Olympic sport, and parents were weeping or directing their freshman child on the ways of college. It made Beca scoff, letting a cynical eye roll sweep around.

"Hello, my name is Samantha. You must be Beca Mitchell? It's nice to meet you, and I'm sure you'll love Barden University." A blonde smiled, her hair ironed straighter than a line. "What's the name of your dorm?"

"Baker Hall I guess." Beca mumbled, her attention being caught by some dork in the backseat of the car next to them. He was singing and playing an air guitar, winking at the brunette like an international rock star. Rolling her eyes, Beca sighed at the juvenile behavior. When his parents sped off, the boy jolted against the backseat. At this point, Beca languidly tuned back to 'Samantha' the official BU greeter with a stupid smile and dumb judgmental face.

"Here is your official Barden University rape whistle. Remember, don't blow it unless it's actually happening." The annoying greeter handed a whistle over, the smile stretched on her face looking physically impossible.

"Sure." Beca took the whistle, holding it between her teeth with a small, cocky grin, evidently not caring about a word that fell from the blonde's obnoxiously long spiel. The greeter frowned as the brunette walked passed her, irritated that it appeared the freshman was going to be one of 'those' girls. Beca had a bag slung over her shoulder and holding her case in the other hand. She didn't have much with her, but she always figured if she really needed anything, she'd just buy it here. "You must be my roommate, Kimmy Jin." Beca told the silent Asian girl already unpacking a small, gold tree thing from her box.

"…" She didn't say anything, just glared Beca up and down.

"Do you speak English?" Still not receiving any response, Beca nodded. "Okay, just tell me… how far along is your English?" Still nothing. Just as Beca opened her mouth to attempt another form of communication, someone knocked on the door, already opening it without waiting for an answer.

"Campus police. Put away the booze." Daniel laughed, pushing into the room. "I'm kidding." Beca's face turned into a deep frown, and she crossed her arms. "So Beca, when did you get here? How did you get here?"

"Today. Took a cab. Didn't want to intrude on you and Sheila." She said curtly, setting her pack on the bed and her case on the desk. As soon as she unzipped the case, she heard Daniel groan.

"Why did you bring that stuff, Beca? I asked you to come here to get away from all that." He shook his head, walking closer. Just as he was about to pick up the equipment, Beca pulled it back.

"Get away from music? Are you kidding me? What do you think my major is going to be anyways? I shouldn't even be here. I should be—"

"In LA, doing God only knows what." Daniel grumbles angrily, and Beca scoffs. "Instead, you're going to get a quality education, for free I might add, and actually do something with your life. DJing is just a hobby, not a profession."

"I'm going to the activities fair." Kimmy Jin announced, having been silent while she unpacked. She glared at both of them, clearly disapproving of Beca and Daniel with a cold passion. Leaving the room, Kimmy Jin left the door open.

"Good idea." Beca said, giving her dad a fake smile. "You better go." She told him, and Daniel growled but headed out the door.

"We still need to talk about this." He warned just before he left, giving Beca a quick glare. She sighed, glad to finally be alone even if it was only for a minute. Grabbing her jacket, she headed out and followed the steady crowd as it streamed into the activities fair. She saw Kimmy Jin laughing with her friends, but Beca didn't really care. She had no intentions of making friends anyways. She found a booth that said DJ, but realized it was a Jewish group and not the DJing she was looking for. A large girl came up, trying to chat with her, making some remark about the Jewish guys. Beca entertained the conversation for a few seconds, but slipped away while the blonde girl was giving the two boys her number.

"What about her?" Chloe asked, pointing to a brunette, but using the flyers in her hand to hide the gesture.

"Her? I think she's a little too "alternative" for us." Aubrey decides, giving the shorter brunette a once over and shaking her head. Beca wasn't paying attention to anybody, wishing she'd grabbed her headphones since she became bored with everything.

"Hi, we're with the Barden Bellas. We're the only all-female a cappella group on campus." Chloe ignores Aubrey, shoving a flyer into Becca's hands before the brunette even had a chance to glance up.

"Oh right, this is a thing now." Beca stares down at the paper, studying the flyer and pictures of people singing.

"Yeah, we sing covers of songs and we do it without any instruments. It's all from our mouths." The enthusiastic voice responds happily, but Beca is still grimacing at the flyer, gallons of humiliation on display in the leaflet.

"Yikes." She mutters, glancing up from the handout to see who actually shoved it in her face.

"It's actually pretty great. We compete in national championships." Chloe continued with a bright smile, not letting the girl's obvious disinterest deter her. Beca stared at the redhead for a moment, completely paralyzed. The red hair flowed around the girl's face, and her blue eyes had an ocean water picturesque excellence to them. The brunette swallowed her mild stupor, all the while her expression didn't falter.

"On purpose?" She inquired, quirking an eyebrow. It was hard to keep concentrated on the conversation. The redhead giggled, nodding with her contagiously bright grin.

Chloe nods, finding this girl's attitude intriguing rather than offensive. However, Aubrey wasn't fairing the same. "Are you interested?"

"It actually sounds pretty lame." The redhead in front of her threw Beca off her usual aloofness. The brunette wanted to prolong this conversation, even though she knew she wouldn't join the group.

"Aca-scuse me?" The blonde recoiled scornfully, putting a hand on her hip. "Synchronized lady dancing to a Mariah Carey chart topper is not lame. We play the Cob-Energy Performing Arts Center, you bitch." Aubrey stated with a fake smile, and Beca's eyes widened at the unexpected retort, nodding slowly with a ghost of an amused smirk. The redhead was fun to talk to, but the blonde was clearly not as much of a people-person.

"I'm sorry, what Aubrey means to say is that we are a close knit, talented group of ladies whose dream is to return to the national finals at Lincoln Center." Chloe smiled sheepishly, wanting to chastise Aubrey for blowing any chance of the brunette joining. "Please, help us turn this dream into a reality?"

"I don't sing anyways, so good luck with whatever this is." Beca shrugged indifferently, walking passed the booth and trying to ignore the kicked puppy expression on the redhead's face. Chloe frowned at Aubrey, receiving an eye roll from the blonde. Before the day turned into a total waste, Beca managed to land an internship at the radio station.

**LINE BREAK**

"You've been here for a month. And what are you doing? Sleeping in bed all day, skipping classes, wasting your life in front of a computer all night. Do you have any friends? Have you made any memories?" Dr. Daniel Mitchell leaned against the door, his face revealing only irritation.

"Kimmy Jin is my friend." Becca countered from her bed, wiping away some sleep. She'd only gotten to bed an hour earlier, and it was three in the afternoon. Music was still blaring from her headphones.

"No." Kimmy Jin answered hollowly, staring at her own laptop. Daniel closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Even your roommate hates you." He pushed off the door, staring at his rebellious daughter. "Beca, join something, attend your classes, actually apply yourself for one year, and if you're still hell bent on ruining your life in LA, then fine. I'll let you drop out, and I'll even help you pay for it. But I'm just asking that for one year, you actually make something of yourself."

"I already told you, I don't want your money. One year in exchange for you fucking off." Beca reminded insensitively, and Daniel glanced away before sighing.

"And I'm saying that if you apply yourself, I'll pay for LA. Think of it as something extra. I won't call you or anything. You'd just pick the money up from a PO Box or something."

"You're serious?" Beca gaped at him, as if expecting the punch line to appear.

"It's better than all my colleagues telling me how you never show up or do anything, so yeah, I'm serious." He didn't smile, and Beca almost laughed when she realized that he'd rather her 'waste her life' away alone than around his all too important friends. "But I mean it; you actually have to get involved in something not DJ related. It's a waste of time."

"_She_ never thought that." Beca fumed darkly, her tone barely a decibel above audible.

"If _she_ really thought you had a future with it, maybe she'd still be around!" Dr. Mitchell shouted, letting his anger get the best of him. The moment he let that sentence leave his lips, he paled. "Beca, I'm sorry. I didn't mean—"

"It's Fine. Just get out. I have to go work at the radio station." She grumbled edgily, dragging herself out of bed. While her tone was still sharp, her posture had the hint that some wind had been knocked from her sails. She was still recoiling at the attack, attempting to repair the damage dealt to her heart. Daniel threw his hands in the air, hastily smoothing over his blunder with a bitter comment.

"Great, you're working in a dark hole that only employs three weirdoes." He hissed, straightening his tie. "What are your professors going to think?"

"I doubt they care. And secondly, there are four weirdoes now." Beca reprimanded sarcastically, pointing to herself with a mocking smirk. Leaving the room in a huff, Beca didn't even flinch when her dad slammed the door behind him. She was used to it. He always left anyways. Kimmy Jin had stopped typing, but didn't direct her attention to the brunette.

"I'm having the Korean Club over tonight. What time will you be here?" Kimmy Jin questioned coldly, narrowing her eyes at her roommate.

"Eight." Beca hissed, already pulling her shirt on and snatching a black beanie.

"They're leaving at nine." The Asian stated, causing the brunette to shake her head and angrily put her headphones on. Leaving the room, she flicked Kimmy Jin off over her shoulder, too pissed at the world to care about her hate filled roommate, her hypocritical, controlling, neglectful, and bitter father, or her pointless studies. Cranking the volume, Beca let her latest mix rattle her brain and turn it to a vibrating knot of tissue.

"Hey Beca, I was—Beca? Beca, Beca, BECA!" Jesse shouted, finally placing his hand on the brunette's shoulder to grab her attention. He just arrived, and had noticed her already stacking a second box of CDs onto their shelves.

"Back off." She hissed immediately, spinning around and knocking his hand off of her shoulder with her forearm. It stung as the dense bone connected with his softer wrist bone.

"Geez, my bad. Didn't realize I'd lose an arm over it." He grumbled, a hurt expression adorning his features.

"Now you know." Beca bit back sarcastically, and Jesse could hear music blaring from the headphones that now sat around the brunette's neck.

"What's up with you?" Jesse muttered, rubbing his wrist still. "You're even more grumpy than normal. Seriously, you need to get laid or something." He pouted, earning a spiteful glare from the brunette. With a loud chuckle, Jesse rolled his eyes. "I'm not kidding. It might help relax you." Ever since that day she told Jesse she was gay, Beca had regretted it.

_It was only the fourth day they'd been working together. Beca was silently sorting some discs while Jesse was trying shamelessly to flirt his way into Beca's heart. Suddenly, he began to belt out song lyrics, completely mashing different songs together and butchering the entire piece. As the third minute of nonstop stupidity passed, Beca finally threw a CD case at him, but the athletic boy dodged it barely. _

"_Dude, shut up." She growled, but her cold words did little to deter him. _

"_Come on Beca, Luke said as long as we didn't have sex on the desk. We can put in a slow song if you want, dance a little, build up to the moment when I lean in and tell you you're beautiful. You bashfully tuck a strand of hair behind your ear, and look away. And then we both lean in, ever so slightly, until our lips connect in an explosion of—"_

"_You idiot, I'm gay." She hissed, throwing another case at him, which he wasn't lucky enough to escape. Even as the hard square nailed him in the stomach, Jesse just stood with a gaping face. "And I wouldn't date you anyway. You're annoying as hell."_

"_You're… gay?" He sounded as if the thought had never occurred to him, and then, seemingly as quick as the confusion came, it was gone. "Awesome, you can be my wingman now! No wonder why my amazingly sexy charm wasn't working on you. We can totally be bros now."_

"_Dude, no." Beca deadpanned; however, Jesse was too far gone. He was already planning their budding friendship, and how she would be his best-man when he got married, and he'd be hers. And their kids would… "I swear, Jesse you need to shut the hell up."_

"_Alright bro, I get it. You're shocked that I'm such a great friend. I'll give you time to adjust to the fact that I like you for who you are." Beca just rolled her eyes, already feeling a headache swelling behind her temples._

"Knock it off Jesse, I'm just tired." She let out an exhausted sigh. Beca really did feel wiped out, having only gotten one hour of sleep before being rudely awakened.

"Okay bro, but you know you can talk to me, right?" Jesse smiled with his boyish grin, and it irritated the hell out of Beca. She imagined this is what having a little brother would be like.

"Don't call me that, dude." Even though it was supposed to come out harsh, her tone had softened over the month they'd known each other. Jesse had an annoying way of slowly dissolving under your skin and leeching his way through your bloodstream. He was merciful enough to remain relatively quiet for the next several hours as they stacked and reorganized music. Every once in a while, he'd throw in some cheesy remark, but he didn't purposefully annoy her anymore.

"There's only a box left. I can take it, especially since you were here before I even showed up. Who knows how many more boxes you've done than me? I don't want the Ab-God Luke to fire me from my internship." He teased, having referred to their supervisor as the 'Ab-God' ever since he pulled his shirt up to reveal a six pack after Jesse made a remark on the amount of cheeseburgers he eats. "It's almost ten anyways."

"Whatever Jesse, just don't mess up anything." Beca shrugged, actually shooting him a sarcastic smirk instead of a frown. That was all the thanks he needed to understand how grateful the brunette actually was.

A half hour later, Beca was walking towards the showers. It was pretty late, and she figured most girls would be out partying instead of showering at this time of night. In her robe, she held her stuff and was mumbling some lyrics to her latest song favorite. She was working on a David Guetta mix, but was thinking about how to seam her favorite song Titanium into the spotlight of the mix. Walking into the shower and turning it on, Beca let herself sing a little bit louder.

"But all your bullets ricochet. You shoot me down, but I get up. Bullet proof. Nothing to lose. Fire away, fire away. Ricochet, you take your—"

"You can sing." A strangely familiar voice confirmed behind the brunette, and the shower curtain was opened.

"DUDE!" Beca yelped, spinning around and sliding the curtain back closed, while attempting to cover herself.

"How high does your belt go?" The redhead questioned, carelessly pushing the curtain back again, oblivious to the Beca's discomfort as she turned the shower off. The brunette was faintly pink in the cheeks, immediately aware that it was the hot redhead she met at the activities fair over a month ago.

"Oh my god." Beca didn't know whether to be offended or not. The redhead stood before her in all her naked glory, practically begging for Beca to check her out. _'No, don't do it. Just stare up. Ceiling, yeah that's really interesting. Nice ceiling up there.'_ Beca attempted to persuade herself.

"You have to audition for the Bellas." The taller girl stated excitedly, her blue eyes piercing with hope.

"I can't concentrate on anything until you cover up your junk." Beca countered, pressed against the back wall and staring stupidly at the ceiling.

"Just consider it. One time, we sang back-up for Prince." The redhead gushed as she stepped closer, a playful tone in her voice. "His butt was so small I could fit it in like, one hand." She was nearly right in front of Beca, and accidently knocked the small rag, Beca was using to cover herself with, out of the brunette's grasp. "Oops."

"Geez, seriously?" Beca grumbled, turning around and doing her best to hide herself with the wall. "I am nude." As if that was some sudden realization, Beca gave one last ditch attempt to possibly express to the redhead why this meeting was so unorthodox. But the taller girl didn't seem to mind.

"You were singing Titanium, right?" She asked the shorter girl, and this triggered Beca to shift her attention.

"You know David Guetta?" Beca questioned in disbelief, not expecting an aca-nerd to know that.

"Have I been living under a rock? Yeah, I know him. That song's my jam. My _lady_ jam." The redhead winks, giving Beca a sly smile.

"That's nice." Beca muttered, turning her face to the wall in hopes to just disappear. If only she didn't let Jesse stack the last box on his own, perhaps she wouldn't be here at this time.

"It is." She gave an airy laugh. "Song really builds." Nodding her head, the redhead closed her eyes for a second as if remembering something, and sighed.

"Gross." Beca only imagined what was going through the redhead's mind, and it wasn't exactly something she was comfortable thinking about naked.

"Can you sing it for me?" As soon as the redhead asked that, Beca mildly paled.

"Dude, no. Get out." The brunette demanded, but her pitch was an octave higher, and nervousness evident in her tone.

"Not for that reason." The redhead assured, but it did little to qualm Beca's concerns. "I'm not leaving her until you sing." _'Are you kidding me?' _Beca blanched, never once thinking she'd be trapped naked in a shower with another naked girl, who was totally hot, being refused any alone time until she sang. Nope, it was not a situation she had envisioned before. "So…" The redhead waited, not backing down. Turning her head to glance back at the girl, Beca heard a little 'hmmph' from the taller girl, an obvious sound to show that she was still there. Giving a 'fuck my life' defeated smirk which quickly faded into a nervous grimace, Beca slowly turned around, covering herself up as best she could. Glancing anywhere but at the other girl, Beca took a deep breath before starting.

"I'm bullet proof, nothing to lose—" Just as Beca started singing, the redhead opened her mouth and joined in.

"Fire away, fire away." They both sang, and Beca's gaze quit shifting nervously, settling on the redhead's ocean eyes. Her voice was amazing… "Ricochet, you take your aim. Fire away, fire away. Shoot me down, but I won't fall. I am Titanium." Beca's voice was a little bit deeper, and huskier, but the redhead's pitch was… it was pitch perfect. "Shoot me down, but I won't fall. I am Titanium." They sang again, ending up with the redhead smiling happily and Beca letting a small smile slip before averting her gaze towards the ceiling again.

"Oh yeah, I'm pretty confident about… all this." She motioned to herself, and Beca just nodded, unconsciously looking her up and down for a second.

"You should be." Beca tells her, nodding with an awkward confirming smile.

"Oh." The taller girl turned around, grabbing a towel and handing it to Beca.

"I'm still taking a shower…" Beca whispered, but still holding the towel protectively against her body. The redhead just smiled brightly, nodding.

"Right, I almost forgot. My name's Chloe." She offered her hand to Beca, who just stared at her weirdly, not moving from her already exposed position.

"Beca." The brunette introduced, coughing awkwardly. "Uh… do you think I could… go back to showering?"

"Oh yeah, sure. I'll see you at auditions, Beca." Stepping outside the stall, Chloe felt extremely proud of herself. "I have a flyer in my bag. I'll just put it in your robe." _'How can you feel comfortable even saying that?'_ Beca wondered to herself, still shocked by Chloe's blatant disregard for personal space. Beca started her shower again, doing her best to calm her racing heart. "K, I put it in your robe pocket, Beca." Chloe smiled gleefully outside the stall, ecstatic about her find. "See you there!" Beca didn't answer; too busy keeping her heart from jumping up her throat and going down the shower drain.


	2. Take Aim

**Alrighty, well thank you for your reviews. I wanted to post this before I left on a trip for a couple days, and I won't be able to update then. So please give me some REVIEWS so I can know what you all like or dislike. Plus, did I mention that Pitch Perfect is freaking funny? No? Well, it is. Fat Amy, you are hilarious. **

**Please REVIEW.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pitch Perfect.**

**-JZ**

* * *

"That looks to be it for this year's auditions. Gotta say, I'm not really impressed." Tommy, or whoever he was, announced as the last singer left the stage. The a cappella groups sat in their seats, nodding in agreement but writing down names of who they liked anyways. Chloe had her sunny smile still maintained even at her own disappointment in the recruits, but it brightened up genuinely when she saw Beca walking from the corner of the stage.

"Wait, one more." She informed Tommy, waving for Beca to come forward.

"Sorry, I didn't know we had to prepare that song." Beca apologized halfheartedly, her eyes never leaving the redhead sitting front and center at the stage.

"Don't worry about it. Go ahead and sing whatever you want." Chloe grinned, captured by Beca's rocker outfit. It was simple: dark jeans, a T-shirt, sneakers, and a white belt. However, it looked so confident and relaxed, adding to Beca's already laidback, sarcastic attitude.

"Can I borrow that?" Beca pointed to the plastic cup on the table in front of Aubrey and Chloe, causing the redhead's expression to falter confusedly.

"Uh, sure." She replied, and Aubrey gave a bewildered and judging face. Beca emptied the cup, sitting down Indian-style on the stage. Puzzling the audience when she started to clap and flip the cup over. It made a rhythmic beat, and as soon as Chloe recalled the song, she beamed proudly.

"I got my ticket for the long way run. Two bottle of whiskey for the way. And I sure would like some sweet company. And I'm leaving tomorrow, what'dya say?" Aubrey's eyes widened the fraction of an inch, but her face twisted into a skeptical frown. "When I'm gone. When I'm gone. You're gonna miss me when I'm gone." Chloe leaned forwards, and her azure eyes were trained on Beca's swirling navy irises. "You're gonna miss me by my hair. You're gonna miss me everywhere, oh. You're gonna miss me when I'm gone." Some of the Treblemakers were whispering in the background, and Bumper let out a quiet obnoxious laugh. While Aubrey frowned deeply at the background noise, it was completely ignored by Chloe and Beca. The precise tapping of the cup created a seamless, soothing melody. "I got my ticket for the long way round. The one with the prettiest of views. It's got mountains. It's got rivers. It's got sights to give you shivers. But it'd sure would be prettier with you."

"She's hot." Donald, a Treble, muttered to his buddies. It didn't even register as the Bella Co-Captain listened intently to the audition.

"When I'm gone. When I'm gone. You're gonna miss me when I'm gone." Beca sang flawlessly, and her voice was so vulnerable. It made Chloe curious as to why she took the time to learn the song, and what meaning it really held to her. "You're gonna miss me by my walk. You're gonna miss me by my talk, oh. You're gonna miss me when I'm gone." With a final tap of the cup, the song was done.

"That was fantastic, Beca." Chloe told the girl eagerly, not even checking for Aubrey's opinion.

"Whatever, it was fine." Beca shrugged indifferently, returning to her guarded self. Standing back up, Beca put her thumbs in her back belt loops as a nervous habit, and headed off stage.

"Chloe, why'd you do that? Now she's going to expect to be in." Aubrey scolded her friend, folding her arms defiantly. Chloe blanched angrily, usually letting Aubrey make these decisions freely, but she wasn't going to let the blonde get away with tossing their chance at the ICCAs away.

"Aubrey, she was the best one here and you know it. Of course she's going to get in, and don't even pretend different." Chloe huffed, her fiery hair swaying as she shook her head.

"She might be a decent singer, but her personality is horrible. And did you see those ear… monstrosities?" The blonde nearly gagged, causing Chloe to roll her eyes.

**LINE BREAK**

"Now we will drink the blood of our sisters." Aubrey told the new Barden Bellas as Chloe grabbed the chalice filled with red liquid. Holding it out for Beca, she giggled quietly when the shorter girl flinched back.

"No way." Beca winced, her eyes widening slightly. For all the DJ knew, these a cappella girls could be serious.

"Don't worry, it's food dye." Chloe whispered, seeing some relief in the dim candlelight reflecting in the brunette's features. Taking the goblet, Beca gave a little sip before passing it down the line. She had learned that the others were Cynthia-Rose, Fat Amy, Stacie, Lilly, and the rest didn't seem as social. To be honest, Beca got bored of the name game.

"Now we must say the oath. Repeat after me." Aubrey said at the front, a pasted smile on her face. "I, sing your name," The result was horrifying, and the blonde's beam was strained. "Vow to uphold the womanhood of the Barden Bellas and not perform any sexual acts with a Treble or let my vocal cords be ripped out by wolves." As the group repeated, they partially trailed off at the end, finding it a bit radical. "You are all Bellas now!"

**LINE BREAK**

"Welcome to a cappella initiation night. Alright ladies, time to soften the beaches." Aubrey announced as they all walked into the party, which was in this giant acoustic theater, resembling something from the ancient Greek architectures. Beca stood awkwardly as everyone dispersed, mingling with the crowd.

"Becaw! Becaw!" Jesse exclaimed, climbing over rows of seats as he made his way to the brunette's location. "Look at you. You're an a cappella girl, I'm an a cappella boy, if you weren't gay we'd have a cappella babies." He did an unmanly giggle, swaying slightly. Beca let a smirk grace her face.

"You're drunk." She laughed, rolling her eyes.

"No, you're just blurry." As much as Beca hated to admit it, Jesse wasn't the worst person to talk to. "So, find any hot lady-friends yet?" He asked quizzically, glancing around the party.

"Stop scoping chicks out for me, douchebag." Beca growled, pushing him with one arm, but it was enough to knock him on his drunken ass. "You're wasted."

"No, no… you're just freaking strong for you shortness, and the ground is moving." Jesse teased, stumbling as he grasped for balance. "I'm gonna get you a drink. You so need to get on this level."

"Yeah, whatever. Go ahead." She muttered, scoffing to hide her laugh as Jesse tripped over his feet as he headed back into the throng of people.

"Beca, hey what're you doing all the way over here?" Chloe giggled, leaning into the brunette and grasping both sides of Beca's face. They were so close, that Beca thought she could get drunk off of the alcohol on the redhead's breath. "I'm so glad I met you. We're going to be fast friends."

"Well, you saw me naked." Beca smirked smugly, giving Chloe a wink, knowing full well that the girl was more smashed than Jesse.

"You're cute when you're snarky." Chloe whispered against Beca's cheek before pulling back, too far in a haze to recognize the pink twinge to the brunette's face. "This ginger needs her jiggle juice!" Chloe shrieked, slapping her own ass as she sauntered back into the party.

"Damn, she's really really really really really…" Jesse paused, staring after the redhead. "Oh yeah, uh she's really hot. You've gotta tap that." He grinned in true hormonal guy fashion.

"You're such a tool." Beca smacked him in the arm, earning a laugh and a red cup of liquid to be slightly splashed. Before anymore of the precious alcohol could be wasted, Jesse shoved the cup into Beca's hand.

"You know who else is hot? Aubrey Posen." Jesse stated dreamily, swaying left and right to some imaginary rhythm.

"Gross." Beca grimaced, rolling her eyes at his lovesick expression. "She hates me."

"What'd you do?" Jesse quirks an eyebrow, finishing his own cup.

"I don't know, but I'm sure she'll tell me some time." Beca sighed, sniffing her drink before pulling it back and holding it cautiously.

"Seriously? I had to maneuver between Fat Amy, three High Notes dudes, and a Treble-Bella baby making ritual." Jesse whined, pointing to the untouched trophy in Beca's hand. "And you're not even going to try it?"

"It's spiked." Beca stated dully, as if that explained it all.

"Yes, yes it is spiked. And that's exactly _why_ you're going to drink it. Come on, loosen up, Bec." Jesse complained, pouting his lip out as if that would dissolve the brunette's resolve. "If you're not going to drink, at least find a nice girl to enjoy the night with. Come on, I'll be your wingman, bro." Jesse grinned hazily, overly eager for the opportunity to fulfill his 'les-bro' duties. Before Beca could shoot him down with a cynical reply, music started to blare. "Let's PAR-TAY!" Jesse urged, running into the throng of singing bodies. Beca shook her head, slowly wandering down the steps until someone seized her hand.

"Hey Beca, come on." Chloe smiled joyfully, walking backwards as she led Beca closer to the crowd. Taking the drink from the brunette's other hand, Chloe swallowed a taste before screwing up her face, her nose scrunching in an adorable expression. Beca chuckled, taking the cup back. "Ew, that's really gross. But aren't you going to have your own jiggle juice?" Chloe questioned flirtatiously, snatching the cup from Beca's hand again to take a tiny sip, much to the brunette's chagrin. "Now you." Chloe teased, holding the cup to Beca's lips.

"Are you trying to get me drunk, Miss Beale?" Beca smirked slyly, allowing the ginger to tilt the cup back and send some of the fiery liquid cascading down her throat.

"I just want you to have a good time." Chloe answers innocently, batting her eyelashes with a sweet, pure smile that Beca identified as a total lie. "Is that bad?"

"I don't know. Is it?" Beca counters, curious when Chloe giggled and tipped the drink farther back, almost choking Beca as the brunette attempted to keep up with the flowing alcoholic waterfall being forced down her throat.

"You're kind of ridiculous." Chloe states, her sobriety on hiatus. She has a death grip on the front of Beca's jacket with one hand, and when her balance shifts backwards, she pulls herself against the brunette to steady her drunken mind.

"Oh yeah, I'm the ridiculous one, huh? Says the girl using me for a balancing pole." Beca chuckles sarcastically, a carefree grin on her face. Chloe is funny, and the way the redhead immediately pouts, her brow barely furrowing as she concentrates, causes the brunette to shake her head. "How much have you drank?"

"More than you. Although, I'm not sure which one of you I'm talking to." Chloe giggles girlishly, pointing at someone over Beca's shoulder. "Oh look, it's Aubrey! She doesn't really like you." The redhead giggles again, tapping Beca on the nose with a well-manicured finger.

"Yeah, I've noticed." Beca swats the hand away, quirking an eyebrow. "Blinded by my awesomeness, I guess." She shrugs smugly, relishing in the musical sound Chloe elicits as she laughs.

"Shh… don't tell Brey, but… I think you're really good. Despite your 'bad attitude' and alt style." Chloe whispers, as if it's some huge secret. "I really like your alt style."

"Uh, thanks… Look, Chloe… I should probably help you back to your dorm." Beca sighed contently as the redhead rested her head on the DJ's shoulder.

"Maybe I drank a little too much of my jiggle juice." Chloe admits, loving the smell that's so uniquely Beca Mitchell. "You smell nice."

"Yup, too much to drink. Come on, I'll walk you there. Just tell me where there is." Beca offered, getting no response. "Chloe, you're going to be useless in ten minutes, so give me the address now." Beca told the redhead in a soft command, to which the taller girl pulled back.

"Bossy." Chloe teased, but nodded happily. "The apartment's four blocks… that way." Chloe pointed east, and Beca fought a betraying smile. "Are you laughing at me?" Chloe puts a hand on her chest, feigning shock. The brunette rolls her eyes, scoffing. "No please, don't let me stop you. Smile away. You hide it too much."

"Let's go." Beca murmured, and Chloe latched herself onto the freshman's arm, snuggling close to Beca's neck. The DJ walked stiffly, her posture acting as a sign that she was uncomfortable. However, Chloe either didn't read the signal correctly, was too drunk to care, or just didn't care in general, and continued to cuddle the limb like there was no tomorrow. "Uh… What number?" Beca coughed, and Chloe used her keycard, taking them up to the room. Leaning against her door, Chloe giggled merrily.

"Thanks for helping me home." She gushed, almost falling backwards. Beca grasped her arm, steadying the redhead just in time.

"Jeez, do you want to get hurt?" Beca scoffed sarcastically, knowing that most people would be offended by her cold retort.

"Aw, you care! Come on, stay the night. You must be tired too." Chloe hummed, opening the door, and with Beca's help, making it to her bed. "Stay the night, please?"

"No, my roommate will be worried." It was such a lie, that Beca was amazed she could say it with a straight face. Though, she was skilled at lying…

"Bullshit." Chloe sighed heavily, flopping backwards onto her bed and staring at the ceiling. Beca opened her mouth, but was too stunned to make any intelligible responses. "It's okay, I'm not mad. You don't seem like the very touchy feely type. Maybe I'll convince you another time?"

"Whatever." Beca shrugged distantly, glancing away from the redhead. Chloe smiled to herself, closing her eyes as she felt sleep looming over her.

"Thank you…" She barely managed to murmur the gratitude as she slipped off in a peaceful slumber. Beca wasn't under any illusions. She knew the redhead would be hurting in the morning. Picking up a bottle of water and some painkillers, she set it on the redhead's nightstand. Cursing herself as she grabbed a blanket and draped it over Chloe, Beca couldn't believe she even cared if the drunken girl got cold in her sleep.

"Night, Chloe…" Beca muttered under her breath as she exited the apartment and locked up behind her. She did notice that Chloe and Aubrey shared an on campus apartment, not really that surprised. However, she hadn't seen the blonde get back yet.

**LINE BREAK**

Practice was rough. Most people were hung over from the party, and Aubrey had said that they'd be working from four to six, though it didn't seem long enough for those with the most vicious hangovers. To the entire group's sorrow, two girls had been kicked off the 'team' for sleeping with a Treblemaker. Beca was still surprised that the oath thing was so serious, not that she had any interest. As the first practice ended, everyone was a little frustrated.

"Everyone say ahh—"

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH—" Fat Amy started to sing, startling Cynthia-Rose and Beca who were on either side of the girl in their huddle.

"Not right now, Fat Amy." Aubrey interrupted as politely as she could, but there was an underlying hint of amusement in the blonde's sharp tone. "On three, we'll all sing 'ah,' okay everyone?"

"On three, or after three?" Cynthia-Rose asked just as Aubrey started the countdown.

"One, two, ahhh—"

"Three"

"Ahhh" It sounded disastrous as half the people said three and the other half gave poor quality music notes.

"Okay everyone, we'll work on that first thing next time." Aubrey strained to say with a smile, rubbing her temples and blinking in an 'oh God why am I even here' sort of way. "Oh Beca, can you wait. I need to talk to you." It wasn't a question, and Beca already was on defense. She hated it when she was 'summoned' by someone who thought so highly of themselves.

"Yeah?" Beca deadpanned, crossing her arms guardedly. This didn't go unnoticed by the blonde, taking that as an immediate sign of defiance and hostility.

"Hmm." She hummed in disapproval, pointing to Beca's ears. "You're going to have to take those ear monstrosities out for competition." Aubrey smiled falsely, really crawling under the brunette's skin.

"You don't really like me, do you?" Beca quirked an eyebrow wryly, an arrogant smirk on her face. The blonde gave a tight smile in return, tilting her head ever so slightly.

"I don't like your bad attitude." Aubrey clarifies in a business tone, but Beca could feel the girl holding back a tidal wave of disapprovals.

"You don't even know me." Beca growls defiantly, her eyes filled with reckless insolence. "And you're not the boss of me."

"I know about your toner." The blonde crosses her arms with an authoritative hair flip.

"My… what?" Beca laughed confusedly, shaking her head. "My… toner?"

"Yeah, musical boner. I could see it at the party last night. It was really distracting." Beca paled slightly, feeling a tad nauseous. All this made the brunette even more edgy than normal.

"One, that's not even a real thing. And two, I don't know what you're talking about." Beca denied emotionlessly, swallowing her slight discomfort.

"You and Jesse. Major toner. He's a Treble, and I don't want to have to remind you what will happen if you're Treble-boned." Aubrey harrumphed, turning her nose up. Beca paused, registering everything the blonde actually said.

"Jesse? Ew, gross." She winced, the mental image making her sick. "You're so far off the mark, it's not even funny. Plus, you lost two girls already today. I'm pretty sure you need me, more than I need you." Beca shook her head, walking away from the aggravated blonde.

"I can see your toner in those jeans." Aubrey called after the brunette, to which Beca turned around while still walking.

"That's my dick!" The DJ gave an unapologetic shrug, flicking off the Bella Captain as she turned on the heel of her alt boots, again heading for the exit. Aubrey crossed her arms, sighing to herself.

"Beca, hey! I wanted to thank you for last night." Chloe smiled to the brunette when she finally made her way to the hall.

"You remember?" Beca titled her head, thinking for sure that Chloe was too wasted to recall anything.

"Yeah, I know I got a little carried away… Okay, a lot. But thank you, for everything. And for the hangover cure you left for me." Chloe nudged Beca affectionately, just as flirtatious as when she was drunk.

"Water and pills… yeah, I'm a genius." Beca rolled her eyes sarcastically, laughing when Chloe slapped her shoulder.

"Hey! Be nice." Chloe scolded, and they started walking side by side. "So… what'd you think of the first Bella's practice?"

"I don't know. Not like I have anything to compare it to." Beca replied honestly, sighing with a sly grin. "You're not one for personal space, are you?" Beca chuckled, referring to the hand resting on her arm.

"No, it's overrated." Chloe giggled, linking arms with Beca full on now. The brunette's eyes widened at the unexpected contact, but she didn't pull back. "See, human interaction isn't all bad." Chloe stuck her tongue out, humming proudly to herself.

"The jury's still out." Beca winked at the redhead, feeling warm when Chloe tossed a devious smirk.

"I'll just have to persuade you, I guess." She grinned devilishly, her eyes reflecting the challenge.

"Good luck with that." The DJ nodded obviously not concerned by the redhead's experiment. "Where are we going anyways?"

"Oh, I was letting you walk me to my English class. It's the Swanson building." Beca's steps faltered, and Chloe wasn't lost on the absence of rhythm in their steps. "Hey, you okay?"

"Yeah, I just… forgot about my philosophy class thing." Beca muttered under her breath, giving Chloe a smirk that didn't reach her navy eyes.

"Now I know that's a lie." Chloe smiled reassuringly, squeezing Beca's linked arm. "It's okay, you know that right?" Beca tilted her head in puzzlement, finally glancing at the redhead.

"What?"

"To tell me things." Chloe enlightened, seeing the gears in the brunette's mind chugging along. Finally, with a scoff, Beca shrugged and paused before they reached the threshold of the English building.

"My name's Beca Mitchell…" She sighed, knowing that Chloe didn't understand exactly what she was saying. "Daniel Mitchell is my… dad." She ground out the last word, her face emotionless despite the loathing in her words.

"Dr. Mitchell, as in the professor?" Chloe opened her mouth, gaping slightly. In no way did the two resemble one another. Realization dawned on the redhead, and she nodded sympathetically. "And you two don't get along?"

"No, we don't." Beca deadpanned, crossing her arms defensively.

"Okay, thank you for telling me. I'm happy you trust me. I wish we could just hang out all day, but sadly, I have to get to class." Giving Beca a strong hug, Chloe rocked the girl side to side in the embrace before pulling back, giggling at the dazed expression. "I'll see you soon. Good job today at practice." Chloe yanked Beca in for a quick hug again before pulling back and almost dancing down the hallway.

"So weird…" Beca shook her head at the senior, but a bemused smirk spread across her face. Stuffing her hands in her pockets, she turned around and slowly ambled towards her dorm. Halfway across the quad, she froze in mid step. The entire stroll, she'd been thinking about the redhead who seemingly invaded all her rational thoughts. And now, Beca could almost feel a mix laying itself out in her head. Her eyes glazed over, and her fingers mindlessly drummed to the beat that appeared in her brain. Almost sprinting, Beca arrived at her dorm and dropped to her chair. Her trusty headphones went on, and she was cut off from the world.

**LINE BREAK**

Chloe sighed as the professor finally dismissed them. It had been a long lecture, but the four pages of neat notes she had were evidence to how informative it was. Chloe's thoughts drifted back to what Beca said about her father being Dr. Mitchell, whose class she actually had tomorrow. It still struck her as odd how Beca wouldn't even step foot down the hallway that had her dad's office. "Chloe, everything alright? Did you have any questions?" Dr. Landez inquired, and the redhead realized she was the only one left in the classroom.

"No Dr. Landez, I was just gathering my thoughts." Chloe smiled, putting her notes away as she left the room in a hurry. Her next class was in an hour, but she was hoping to catch some lunch. "Oh sorry." She shrieked as she bumped into someone.

"No, it's my fault. I wasn't really paying attention." Jesse apologized, his grin widening as he saw it was the redhead from the Bellas. "I'm Jesse." He introduced cleverly, feeling childish when she laughed and nodded.

"Yeah, I know. You did really well at auditions. Congratulations." Chloe told him honestly, knowing that the Trebles were pretty picky.

"Thanks." Jesse shrugged, surprised by the Bellas' kindness. He was under the impression that being a Treblemaker made him a sworn enemy of Barden Bellas, besides Beca of course. "You're the one who convinced Beca to audition, right? That must have been some persuasion." He laughed, and Chloe nodded with a wink.

"You have no idea. She's not exactly an easy person to convince." Chloe giggled, and Jesse felt himself get a little dazed.

"You're telling me. I swear, I'm still trying to get her to agree that we're friends."

"Oh come on, I'm sure she's not that bad." Chloe teased him, but Jesse guffawed loudly.

"Yeah right! Beca Mitchell is the most stubborn person on the planet. If someone told her to pull an emergency parachute while skydiving, she'd rather crash than listen." Chloe bust into a fit of giggles, just imagining the smaller brunette girl being so unreasonable.

"Now I know you're exaggerating." The redhead admonished, noticing a sandwich place not too far. "You want to have lunch?"

"And discuss the joys of English and gossip about the sarcasm queen of DJing? Definitely." Jesse grinned, motioning for Chloe to go first. "Ladies first."

"What a gentleman." Chloe told him as they waited in line. "Even though I think you're just buying time to figure out what you want."

"Okay, you caught me. But remember I'm just a lowly freshman, and you're a big, bad senior." Jesse sighed in a wow-is-me voice.

"Are you calling me fat?" Chloe countered, her face breaking into laughter at the freshman's beat red expression.

"That's not even fair. You know what, I'm going first now." He grumbled playfully, budging in front of Chloe.

"Hey! Alright fine, I'm sorry." Chloe apologized playfully, throwing her hands up. After a moment of comfortable silence, she tilted her head at Jesse.

"What?" He asked, suddenly self-conscious.

"You're not so bad… for a Treble."

"And you're not so bad… for a Bella." Jesse replied, amused as Chloe continued to study him like a lab experiment. "What now?"

"I was just thinking… I overheard Aubrey saying she saw a toner between you and Beca last night. Doesn't seem so crazy now." Chloe shrugged, hiding the pang of jealousy in her stomach.

"A… what?" The boy's face screwed up as he attempted to decode the message.

"It's what we call a musical boner. Aubrey thought you and Beca had one last night." Jesse paled, and coughed embarrassedly as the sandwich guy asked for their orders. A few minutes later, they sat down at a table by a huge pane window.

"Aubrey is… she was wrong. Beca and I don't have a… toner." Jesse mumbled, picking at his food.

"You aren't exactly good at hiding things. What's up, Jesse?" Chloe could tell he wanted to say more, but his lips pierced in indecision. Finally, he let out a sigh.

"How strict is your guys' oath?" He asked quietly, peaking Chloe's interest.

"Why?"

"I was definitely toning… tonering… whatever, I had a toner last night, but not for Beca…" Jesse scratched the back of his head, his sandwich setting on the table. "Don't get me wrong, Beca's totally hot, don't tell her I said that, but… She really doesn't like me that way. Or _any_ of the Trebles for that matter." Jesse was hoping the redhead would get the hint, but she just tilted her head in befuddlement. "I had a toner for Aubrey…" He admits, remembering his own surprise when he realized that it was the blonde's voice he had perfectly harmonized at the party. They weren't even near each other, but his and hers just seemed to… fit.

"Oh… _oh_…" Chloe caught on to Jesse's dilemma, immediately feeling guilty. "I'm so sorry, Jesse. Aubrey… she's really against the Trebles. You're not her normal type of guy…" Jesse hung his head at that, but Chloe smiled at him endearingly. "But you two would be great together. And remember, apparently her normal type of guy isn't around for too long, so someone different could be just what she needs. I'll try to get her to stop this ridiculous prejudice against the Treblemakers, but I can't really do much more than that. She is my best friend."

"I know Chloe, but thank you. I was sure you were going to hate me for that… I just think… I think she's really great." Jesse admits, staring down at his sandwich.

"Alright, eat up. A growing boy needs his nutrients." Chloe teased, and Jesse smiled up at her with a boyish grin. "So Beca really doesn't like the Trebles, huh?"

"Nope, but I'm pretty sure she likes the Bellas." Jesse smirks, wondering if Chloe had caught on to his innuendo yet. They finished their lunch in playful banter, and Jesse felt relieved that Chloe was so nice.

"I have to go back for another English class. I'll see you around though, Jesse." Chloe told the freshman, gathering her lunch and tossing it in the trash.

"Totally. And just so you know, you might melt Beca's frozen heart yet." He teased, and Chloe swatted him in the back of the head as she left.

"Be nice, or I'll tell her you said that." Chloe stuck her tongue out, feeling warm all over. "Aubrey has a thing for cute guys." She told Jesse, seeing his face light up.

"Beca has a thing for blue eyes." Jesse quipped back, and Chloe wasn't sure exactly what he meant by that. But she knew what she hoped he meant. She was almost skipping when she entered her Advanced Creative Writing class, taking a seat in the back. No matter how hard she attempted to concentrate, Chloe only thought about her new friend.


	3. Hang Fire

**Alrighty, I know I haven't updated this in a while, but I have been working on this chapter for like... two weeks. I know, it seems like a long time for one chapter, but this could have gone many ways. I hope you all enjoy this chapter. When it reaches the song, you can play "What Makes You Beautiful" by One Direction. I actually listened to Madilyn Bailey's cover of the song. She's an amazing singer. **

**I don't own Pitch Perfect. **

**-JZ**

**As always: READ, REVIEW or PM! Have a nice day/night! **

**Song: "What Makes You Beautiful"  
By: One Direction... however, I listened to Madilyn Bailey's cover.**

* * *

"Okay everyone, practice was better today. Keep up the cardio, and really work on the choreography. I know we didn't get a chance to learn it all, but we still have next week before our first gig." Aubrey informed them all, smiling at their band of misfits. "Remember the vocal exercises we did. Try to fit them in at least twice a day."

"Great job today, ladies." Chloe beamed brightly from Aubrey's side, attempting to keep her smile genuine. She felt the corners droop slightly as her eyes rested on the brunette in the back chair. Beca had her arms crossed and wasn't paying attention.

"Have a fun weekend everyone. I'll be back Sunday night. So we will have practice on Monday." Aubrey dismissed the group, since they'd already tried their huddled cheer before they sat down. Sadly, it seemed that the 'one, two, ahhh' still escaped most of their understanding.

"I don't know about you aca-bitches, but I've got some hot dates tonight." Fat Amy cheered, leaving the gym while discussing the men of Tasmania with Stacie. The others broke into smaller groups, chatting quietly as they left.

"Beca, will you come here?"

"Just three more steps…" Beca muttered under her breath as she turned around. She was almost home free before Aubrey called her back. Walking back to the Bellas Captain, Beca kept her head low with a sigh. Chloe was next to Aubrey still, and was slightly curious what Aubrey wanted. "What's up, Aubrey?"

"What's up, is that your choreography is horrible." The blonde exhaled in frustration, throwing her hands up. Beca quirked an eyebrow, smirking at the shocked face Chloe had.

"Aubrey, how could you—"

"Chloe, honestly you know it's true." Aubrey countered, daring her best friend to argue.

"Okay, do I still need to be here for this? Couldn't you just… I don't know, talk behind my back like a normal gossip?" Beca wondered sarcastically, her hands stuffed in her jacket pockets. "It's a little sadistic that you enjoy insulting me this openly."

"Cut the attitude." Aubrey demanded, glaring at the freshman. "As I was saying before everyone started to gang up on me, you're dancing needs work. _And,_" Aubrey stated, holding a hand to halt any interruptions. "Since I'm going to be at my parents' house this weekend, I'll need Chloe to work with you while I'm gone. Are you busy, Chloe?" The blonde didn't want her tone to sound too desperate. She knew Beca needed work, and Aubrey didn't even want to imagine how far behind the brunette would be by Monday.

"Nope, I'm free." Chloe smiled joyfully, a stark contrast to Beca's skeptical expression.

"Thank goodness. I was worried that I might have an aca-free weekend, and have to suffer through withdrawals. Though, it's sick of you to feed my acappella addiction." Beca announced dryly, and the blonde didn't appreciate the sarcasm.

"Good luck, Chloe." Aubrey commended, rolling her eyes at the snarky freshman. "You two can work out the details." Leaving them, Aubrey strutted off with her head held high. She didn't want to allow Beca the satisfaction of knowing that she pissed the blonde off.

"My natural ability to annoy Aubrey should really be listed as a special skill." Beca mumbled, smirking accomplishedly as she heard the door close.

"You know, you two are a lot alike." Chloe teased, earning her a doubtful glare. "Seriously! You're both stubborn, and independent, and—"

"Chloe, please stop before I hurl… and then Aubrey and I would really have something in common." Even though the blonde was Chloe's best friend, she couldn't fight off the giggle at Beca's comment. The brunette's wit was hilarious, to say the least.

"Well, she did have a point though. What time are you free this weekend? We'll probably just work on the hand gestures since it seems those are what you're struggling with the most." Chloe suggested cheekily, giggling at Beca's scowl.

"I don't need help. I can do it on my own." Beca replied assertively, and Chloe was seeing a pattern. All week during practice, she'd tried to give the brunette advice. Beca usually responded well to it, but when Chloe actually attempted to show the brunette and walk her through the steps, the freshman got frustrated.

"I know that." Chloe told her calmly, tugging on Beca's sleeve. "But it does give us a good excuse to hang out this weekend. And it wouldn't hurt to run through the dance routine a little." The redhead suppressed a smile when Beca relaxed, even though it was a miniscule drop of her shoulders. "Your place or mine?"

"Is Aubrey going to be at your apartment in the morning?" Beca knew that the two roomed together, and wasn't sure exactly when the blonde was leaving for her trip tomorrow.

"Yeah." Chloe tilted her head, a bemused grin on her face.

"Well Kimmy Jin is staying at some Korean Club excursion, so my dorm's free this weekend." Beca suggested, raising an eyebrow at Chloe's smile. "Hey, I'm just doing Aubrey a favor. She might have a panic attack if she saw me at your apartment. And we wouldn't want her to get too worked up."

"And I haven't seen your dorm, so I was going to recommend your place anyways." Chloe confessed with a sheepish smile. They stared at each other for a second before Beca glanced away.

"I guess I should… get going." Taking a few steps backwards, Beca stopped herself from frowning when Chloe's hand slid off her arm. "Baker Hall. Room 27. It's on the second floor." With a smirk, the brunette turned on her heel and headed for the exit.

"Eight? I'll bring breakfast." Chloe called after Beca, smiling as the image of Beca's adorable smirk was etched into her brain.

"Sounds good." The freshman didn't even glance over her shoulder, just contributing a half wave as she pushed through the door. Chloe giggled to herself, finding the alt girl's cockiness endearing, in a way. Later that night, Beca was working on her latest mix. Kimmy Jin packed a duffle bag, sighing when she placed it at the foot of her bed.

"I'm leaving in the morning." Kimmy Jin informed her roommate coldly, not caring that Beca couldn't hear her due to the headphones. It was late, and Beca was already irritated that she had to wait so long to get to her mixes. She had to write a paper for her philosophy class, and that delayed her three hours.

Peeking over her shoulder, Beca saw Kimmy Jin asleep in her bed. The Asian girl appeared far less threatening while she was unconscious. With a yawn, the DJ stretched her arms and rolled her wrists, hearing the crack and pop. The alarm clock read two a.m., but Beca still felt the familiar itch of a good mix. Another hour ticked by, and Beca found herself nodding off. Slumping forward, the brunette jolted awake when she hit the volume by accident. Rubbing her eyes, she squinted at the screen.

"That's enough." She muttered to herself, hanging up her headphones on her monitor and closing the program after hitting save. Turning the screen off, Beca crawled into her bed already half asleep. Sleep captured her in one swift strike.

**LINE BREAK**

"Oh, hi!" Chloe smiled brightly, her hand still posed in the air to knock on the door. Kimmy Jin just frowned, her bag slung over her shoulder. "I'm here to see Beca…" Nervousness ate away at the redhead's stomach, worried that maybe she was at the wrong room.

"She's asleep." Kimmy Jin stated, brushing past Chloe, who had a paper bag in one hand and two coffees in the other. "Go in." The Asian girl commanded, leaving down the hallway. Chloe shrugged, wondering if Kimmy Jin was always like that or if maybe the girl was running late for her trip. With a cheerful smile, Chloe entered the freshman dorm. She noticed Kimmy Jin's made bed, neat desk, and professional room design on the one side. On the other, she saw a desk with what looked like one of those fancy DJ decks, a keyboard, and a guitar case propped against the electric keyboard stand. Beca was passed out in the bed, and all around the wall was stacks and rows of CDs and even some records. Setting the coffees and food down on the far edge of the desk, well away from the equipment, Chloe giggled at Beca's sleeping form. Of course the brunette wasn't a relaxed sleeper. Every once in a while, Chloe would see Beca's hands twitch or her arm move, and she could have sworn that the brunette was mumbling something.

"Wake up, sleepyhead." Chloe whispered softly, smiling as Beca covered her head with her pillow. Yanking the offending fluffy protection away, Chloe crawled on the twin sized bed and put the pillow behind her back as she leaned against the desk, which acted as the bed's headboard.

"How did you get in here?" Beca mumbled, turning over so she faced the wall.

"Your super sweet roommate let me in. You didn't tell me she was so talkative." Chloe nudged the brunette playfully, only to have Beca swat her elbow away.

"Yeah, she never shuts up." The DJ grumbled sarcastically, drifting back into a sleepy haze.

"What time did you go to bed last night?" Chloe hummed amusedly, her left hand drawing circles on Beca's back.

"Three."

"In the morning? No wonder you're exhausted. Why'd you stay up so late?" Chloe exclaimed, not realizing how soothing her rubbing Beca's back really was.

"You mean, why'd I stay up so early?" Beca chuckled tiredly, mildly impressed with her own calmness at the situation. She usually hated any invasion of privacy, let alone her very small twin sized bed.

"Mhmm…" Chloe hummed peacefully, smirking at Beca's involuntary sigh of contentment.

"Working on a new mix. Had to finish." Chloe glimpsed over her shoulder, browsing the equipment again.

"I didn't know you were into that stuff." Beca let out a muffled noise of confirmation, and causing the redhead to smile slightly. "I bet you're super good at it."

"Don't make assumptions." Beca mumbled, pulling herself into a sitting position with a sigh. "Most people would have taken the hint by now… I'm not nearly awake for a dance session."

"I brought breakfast and coffee." Chloe placed the cup of steaming liquid in Beca's hands, and then took a sip of her own drink. She saw Beca's lip twitch. "What?" Beca shook her head, a broad smirk extending across her face. "What?"

"Nothing." Beca chuckled, sniffing her coffee. It was strong, and the moment the black coffee scalded her tongue, Beca was in heaven. Lowering her drink, the brunette leaned forward and wiped the dribble of whipped cream off Chloe's lip with her thumb.

"Nothing, huh?" Chloe countered with a blush, now feeling paranoid about anything else being on her face. Beca licked the sweet cream off her coated thumb, shaking her head at Chloe's adorable reaction.

"Nope, you're perfect." Her smirk faded as she recognized the dorkiness of her statement. The redhead grinned elatedly, tilting her head.

"Aww…" Chloe cooed, frantically balancing her coffee a moment later when Beca hopped out of the bed. "Hey!"

"What? I'm hungry and I can smell food." Beca shrugged, not doing much to hide her smug grin.

"Nice way to change the subject." The redhead rolled her eyes at Beca's sudden interest in breakfast.

"Thanks. So seriously, what'd you get?" Opening the bag, her grin grew wider. "You can wake me up anytime."

"I'll keep that in mind." Chloe winked teasingly, but Beca ignored her as she pulled out a breakfast sandwich of sorts. "If I'd have known all I needed to do was bring you a sandwich to win you over, I might not have barged in on your shower."

"I'm not that easy, Chloe. I can't be bought with a single sandwich." Beca grumbled mordantly, shaking her head at the statement. "But since you brought coffee too…" The redhead giggled, rolling her eyes at the brunette's obvious sarcasm.

"So, after you're done, maybe we can work on those moves a little?" Chloe eased into the subject, noticing how Beca's jaw tightened subtly, but otherwise, the brunette's facial expression remained unchanged.

"Yeah." Beca took a bite of her breakfast, sitting at her desk chair.

"Fine, if you don't want to dance, then let's do something fun." Chloe smiled, turning over on the bed so she could see Beca again. Lying on her stomach, Chloe's red curls splayed perfectly around her face. Her feet twirled in the air as she stared at the DJ expectantly. "What do you like to do?"

"Volunteer at the seasonal circus as a cotton candy attendant." Beca retorted dryly, her tone serious despite its mocking intentions. Chloe quirked an eyebrow, but instead of irritation, an amused smile twiddled at the corners of her mouth.

"I bet the kids love you. But perhaps you should be a clown? Especially with your sense of humor." The redhead quipped merrily, resting her chin on her hands. "You'd be adorable with a red nose."

"You caught me. I originally interviewed to be a clown, but the shoes wouldn't fit. And it turns out that I'm incredibly allergic to ridiculous costumes." Their friendly banter put the DJ at ease, and Beca actually was starting to relax. By the time her sandwich was done, she and Chloe were laughing and continuing their joking manner. With a final sip of her coffee, Beca leaned back in her chair, propping her feet up on the desk. Chloe shook her head, getting up off the bed and stretching. "Leaving?" Over an hour had flown by, but Beca still had to fight to keep the disappointment from shining in her voice.

"Nope, you're stuck with me for a while longer. Although, you know Aubrey will have a breakdown if she were to find out that we didn't do some practicing today." Chloe teased, sauntering up to the desk and leaning against the wooden frame right next to Beca's feet. Patting the brunette's shin, Chloe began to walk her fingers up the DJ's leg. Beca's eyebrow hiked, but she remained silent as the fingers wandered passed her knee. Halting her hand on the brunette's thigh, Chloe leaned down to Beca's ear. "Sooner we get done with practicing, the more hanging out we can do." The sultry tone slithered across the redhead's lips, catching Beca completely off guard. "Don't worry, your badass reputation will still be intact. We are alone after all." Chloe pulled back, standing a step back with her hands linked behind her back now as she rolled from the balls of her feet to her heels.

"Yeah…" Beca's throat felt like the Sahara Desert, causing her voice to sound husky. Chloe's giggle dragged Beca from her stupor, and the brunette cleared her throat. "Although sometimes I wonder if Kimmy Jin has cameras installed around here." Beca covered up her Chloe induced fog with a sarcastic comment, removing her feet from the desk and pulling her chair forwards so she could use her computer. Chloe didn't budge, her hip now in contact with Beca's forearm every time the brunette moved the mouse to the right.

"I just don't see her being that invested." Chloe teased, turning her head to the side as she attempted to muffle her laugh.

"Sure, make fun of the girl whose roommate is probably a serial killer…"

"I don't understand how she isn't drooling over you. You're so charming, Beca Mitchell." The redhead placed one hand over her heart, using the other to fan her face as if she were overheating. "Miss Mitchell, how do you not have a fan club?"

"I do." Beca deadpanned, and Chloe's playful laugh turned into a curious smile.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yup."

"Who's the president?" The Bellas co-captain crossed her arms, smirking at the brunette. However, Beca didn't even glance up from her computer.

"Some redhead who stalked me in the shower one day. She's got an amazing singing voice. You might know her, Miss Beale." Chloe rolled her eyes at the snarky comment, but grinned innocently.

"Fine then, I call this Beca Mitchell Fan Club meeting to order. First task on the agenda today: teach Beca Mitchell the choreography to our first song." Beca sighed as Chloe grabbed her hand and started to pull her up from the desk chair.

"Alright, whatever…" Beca mumbled, barely managing to click the repeat button on the soundtrack. As the boring song began, Chloe couldn't hide her smile when she finally dragged Beca to the middle of the room.

"You bought the Bellas songs." She stated, raising an eyebrow questioningly. Beca answered with a scoff, rolling her eyes.

"If anyone with taste in music found those tracks in my library, I'd lose my dignity." The DJ grumbled, fighting off the smirk that tugged at her face after hearing Chloe's melodic giggle. "I think my computer was confused by the foreign music."

"Aww, they don't fit with your usual jams?" Chloe pretended to pout.

"My usual jams could kick their ass while being played backwards at the Barden Deaf Jews clubmeetings." Beca smirked enticingly, winking at Chloe as she made a halfassed attempt at the box gesture that was supposed to go along with this verse. Chloe just smiled while leaning in, readjusting the shape of Beca's box.

"I'd love to find out what Beca listens to with those gigantic headphones." The redhead teased playfully, mirroring the moves Beca was attempting to practice.

"One day, if you're lucky, I'll show you."

"Great." Chloe smiled sincerely, her mind only trained on the navy irises staring back at her. "The BMFC appreciates your cooperation."

"The what?" Beca gaped, completely missing the musical cue. Chloe shook her head, sticking her tongue out.

"Beca Mitchell Fan Club. Meeting's adjourned." Chloe stated firmly, her amazing smile lighting up the small dorm room. "Now here, your hands…"

The practice continued for another hour. To both their surprise, and relief, Beca managed to catch on to most of the cues and maneuvers. Chloe ensured that there were a lot of hands on training, eliciting some stubborn refusals from the brunette and even garnering a few blushes. Chloe enjoyed their close proximity, discovering herself becoming extra picky just so she could hold onto Beca's arms and take her through the motions. With most of the choreography memorized, and Beca's attention span waning, they decided to call it quits on the dance practice.

"You ready for cardio?" Chloe asked, only able to keep a straight face for about five seconds. Beca's expression fell into a kicked puppy face, and Chloe found it absolutely adorable. "Just kidding."

"Good, or else I wasn't going to suggest that you cleanse your hearing with some decent music." Beca rolled her eyes when Chloe squealed, snatching up the DJ's hands and squeezing them in excitement.

"Really?"

"Yeah, why are you so shocked?"

"Well, because…" Chloe shrugged, failing to act nonchalant.

"Out with it, Beale." Beca commanded, still not pulling her hands away.

"Music is really important to you. I'm just… happy that you're trusting me with it." Chloe stated with complete honesty. It bothered Beca, but only for a second. She never met someone so naïve to the world that they'd be willing to throw their heart out for the world to see. She'd never met anyone with such innocent sincerity, someone who so openly expressed herself.

"Here, sit down." Beca spun the chair for Chloe to sit in, recommending it with a mock bow. Doing a curtsy, Chloe nodded a thanks and sat in the comfy seat. When Chloe was situated at the desk, Beca leaned over, trapping the redhead in a maze of the DJ's intoxicating scent, and opened up a playlist. "Adjust the volume right here. And be careful, I wouldn't want you to lose your hearing." Chloe giggled, but nodded in understanding. Placing the oversized headphones on her ears, the redhead leaned back as she pressed play. Beca smiled when she saw the older Bellas eyes flutter close. With a satisfied sigh, the DJ settled on getting a shower. Tapping on Chloe's shoulder, the redhead lazily opened her eyes. Beca mouthed "shower" before receiving a smile of conformation. Gathering up what she needed, Beca left her dorm with one final glance at Chloe, who was humming along with to a random mix.

**LINE BREAK**

Thirty minutes later, Beca was returning to her room fully dressed and ready for the day. She wore a long black V-neck shirt with the sleeve pushed up to her elbows. Then she had her leather band around her left wrist. Her faded jeans had some strategic cuts in the fabric, and the bottoms were fringed, showing off her black alt style boots. Standing outside her own dorm, Beca almost started to knock before rolling her eyes at her own behavior. She half expected Chloe to have left anyways, sure that the redhead would have more important things to do than hang out. As she pushed to door open, Beca heard Chloe singing a mashup Beca had just finished. File saved as CIM31—which translated into Chloe Inspired Mix 31. The brunette paled in the doorway. She hadn't meant to play that mix. But thinking back to it, all Beca did was hit play, and the CIM31 was the latest mix she was working on. _Damn… I thought I opened one of my radio mixes. _The DJ's thoughts cringed for a moment.

"You're insecure, don't know what for. You're turning heads when you walk through the door-or-or." Chloe's musical voice rang out, signaling the beginning of another song. This one was familiar to Beca, since it just naturally fit in the mix. "Don't need makeup, to cover up. Being the way that you are is enough. Everyone else in the room can see it. Everyone else but you. Baby you light up my world like nobody else. The way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed. But when you smile at the ground it ain't hard to tell, you don't know-oh-oh, you don't know you're beautiful. If only you saw what I can see, you'd understand why I want you so desperately. Right now I'm looking at you and I can't believe, you don't know-oh-oh, you don't know you're beautifu-uh-uh-ul. That's what makes you beautiful." The redhead spun around in the chair, singing loudly and proudly with her eyes shut. Beca smiled in amusement and fascination. Chloe looked so happy and carefree, and it was contagious. With a grin, Beca walked up to the desk and pulled out the headphone's cord. The music switched over to the computer speakers, and Chloe's eyes shot open. Smirking, Beca shrugged before the lyrics started.

"So-o come on." Beca jumped in, singing all the while with a playful grin. Chloe shook her head, still stunned at being caught. "You've got it wrong. To prove I'm right, I put it in a so-o-ong. I don't know why, you're being shy. And turn away when I look into your ey-e-es. Everyone else in the room can see it, everyone else but you. Baby you light up my world like nobody else. The way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed. The way you smile at the ground, it ain't hard to tell. You don't know-oh-oh-oh, you don't know your beautiful. If only you saw what I can see. You'll understand why I want you so desperately. Right now I'm lookin' at you and I can't believe, you don't know-oh-oh, you don't know your beautiful-uh-ul. That's what makes you beautiful." As the chorus started to sing the "na, na, na, na, na, na, naaaa, na, na," Beca and Chloe stared at each other. Chloe had a beaming, bright smile, while Beca adorned a more reserved, and indifferent smirk. Taking off the headphones, Chloe stood up and softly took Beca's hand, doing a little twirl as the song continued. Scoffing at the dance, Beca avoided eye contact until the song started to get back to the lyrics. Chloe intertwined their hands, doing little twirls and exaggerated dance moves while Beca really just stood there. They both started to sing together, Chloe taking the higher notes, and Beca commanding the lower ones.

"Baby, you light up my world like nobody else. The way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed. But when you smile at the ground it ain't hard to tell. You don't know-oh-oh, you don't know you're beauty. You light up my world like nobody else. The way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed. But when you smile at the ground it ain't hard to tell. You don't know-oh-oh, you don't know you're beautiful. If only you saw what I can see. You'll understand why I want you so desperately. Right now I'm lookin' at you and I can't believe. You don't know-oh-oh, you don't know you're beautiful. Oh, oh, oh. You don't know you're beautiful. Oh, oh, oh. That's what makes you beautiful." When they were done, they both ignored as another song swiftly took over. They just stared at each other, completely trapped in the melody of their melding voices, and the perfection of their intertwined pitch. Unlike the shower, where they were naked but still a couple feet from each other, the two were still in a very intimate position. Sometime during their singing, they'd been pulled together, like a magnet and a paperclip. Now, with the music of Jason Deluro's _It Girl_ in the background, Beca and Chloe remained mesmerized by one another's gaze… Until there was a knock at the door, effectively sending Beca jumping three feet backwards and causing Chloe to blink her hypnosis away.

"Hey, can you keep it down in there? Some of us are a little busy freaking out over homework." Beca only recognized the voice as the girl who sleeps with a bunch of guys. Mainly because she'd hear that voice screaming a lot… around ten o'clock. This chick made Stacie seem like a saint.

"And what homework do you work on at night? Sex Ed.?" Beca shouted back, hearing Chloe muffling her giggles. "You'll probably graduate early with all your extensive research."

"J-just shut up!" The girl screeched back, and Beca heard the door slamming. Chloe swatted Beca's shoulder, yanking the fabric of the DJ's shirt so she could whisper in Beca's ear.

"No wonder you're constantly wearing those headphones." Chloe giggled teasingly, before releasing her grip. Beca laughed, nodding in response.

"I guess I better turn the music off." Putting some distance between herself and the redhead, Beca paused the mix and sat at the desk. "So…"

"How was your shower?" Chloe asked casually, causing the brunette to quirk an eyebrow.

"Fine. Uh, how was…" For some reason, the DJ couldn't bring herself to ask for feedback on the mix. She never let anyone listen to her music, unless the mix was specifically crafted for public ears. Thus her R1-R543 mixes: Radio1-Radio543. Beca had created plenty to show off for any opportunity; however, she had thousands of mixes dedicated to more personal aspects of her musical passion.

"The mix?" Chloe prompted, earning a tight nod from the freshman. "Well…" Tapping her index finger on her chin, Chloe broke out in a grin. "You are better than amazing! Beca, oh my God, your music is fantastic!" Glancing away, the shorter girl just shrugged the compliments off coolly. "I'm serious. It's better than anything I have on my iPod. I absolutely love it. Jesse was right when he said you were a 'Queen of DJing.'" Chloe grinned, but Beca's face screwed up in confusion.

"You talked to Jesse?" She blinked, attempting to understand where this was going.

"Yeah, we bumped into each other. And since it was between classes, we went to the café and got lunch." Chloe shrugged, not seeing anything complicated about the interaction.

"What'd you two talk about?" Beca questioned curiously, to which the redhead wagged her finger at Beca.

"Na ah, secrets are secrets." Chloe teased, pretending to zip her lips.

"He told you about his crush on Aubrey." The brunette answered her own question, fiddling with replugging in her headphones. Chloe gaped, her mouth opening and closing repeatedly. "Careful, you'll catch flies." With an adorable pout, the redhead crossed her arms.

"How did you know?" She complained, half expecting Beca to mention having superpowers.

"At the initiation, Jesse was completely drunk. And I had to listen to him fawn over Aubrey. Before you ask, yes, it was while I was still sober. Almost wanted to gauge my ears out." With a groan, the DJ made a mock ill expression.

"So why do you think that's what we talked about?" Chloe demanded as she flopped on the bed.

"Because you're Aubrey's best friend. Jesse isn't a complete idiot. If there's any chance for him to date Aubrey, he'll only be able to figure it out through you." Beca deduced easily. Chloe sat up, blowing a strand of hair out of her face.

"You're so lucky you're cute, or I'd be mad at you." Chloe whined again.

"Why?" Beca laughed at the expression, brushing aside the 'cute' comment.

"Because, Jesse told me that in confidence. You're not supposed to know." Explained the redhead with a tossup of her hands.

"If Jesse didn't want me to know, he wouldn't have been moaning all night about how 'hot Aubrey Posen is' with a pathetic expression on his face." Beca shrugged indifferently, not noticing the curious face Chloe had.

"Do you think they'd be a cute couple? I mean, Jesse is a nice guy, I think. And Aubrey really needs a good guy." The older Bella wondered, almost bursting out laughing at the blank expression she got from Beca. "Well, don't you have any opinions about this? Jesse is your friend, and Aubrey is kind of your enemy."

"No, she's not. I don't hate Aubrey." Beca defended quickly, her voice edgy. Chloe tilted her head, stunned by the outburst. "She's an annoying, obnoxious, obsessive control-freak, who is completely anal most of the time, but I don't… hate her."

"Good." Chloe smiled softly, concerned when Beca didn't return the gesture.

"Jesse can date whomever he wants. As for Aubrey… Yeah, he's a good guy. I think they'd balance each other out." Beca replied honestly. As if realizing what she just said, Beca backtracked with a scoff and rolled her eyes. "If I actually cared…" Chloe giggled, finding the sarcasm adorable.

"Wow, it's already two. I need to work on a lit. paper." Chloe got off the bed and gave Beca a peck on the cheek. "Do you… want to have dinner at the apartment with me? I hate staying there alone." Beca, fighting back a blush from the kiss (it was just on the cheek, Beca. Get over it.), nodded dumbly. Laughing sweetly, Chloe patted Beca's forearm as she made her way to the door. "Great, I'll see you at seven then. I'll order pizza."

* * *

**I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. Let me know with a REVIEW or PM. **

**-JZ**


	4. Safety

**Alright, I think this is the longest chapter I have ever written... ever. And now I'm so tired... Well, please leave a REVIEW since they give me inspiration. Also, I want to give a special thanks to the person who PMed me, it certainly gave me some great motivation. I'm going to call this my lucky 10,000 chapter, because this is the first (and possibly only) 10,000 word chapter I'll ever write. I didn't set out to write so much, but it just started to flow and I couldn't find a stopping point that I liked until the end. So yeah... Enjoy!**

**The REVIEWS, follows, alerts, and PM are amazing. You all are fantastic, and keep up the great work of keeping me on track. **

**I don't own Pitch Perfect.**

**-JZ**

* * *

"Oh, pizza's here!" Chloe cheered as the knocking came again. "Don't cheat." She told Beca pointedly, staring the DJ down for a moment before sprinting out of the living room and down the hall. Beca shook her head at the girl's antics, leaning back into the comfy lounge chair. She could smell the pizza before she heard Chloe. "I'll grab some plates. But NO cheating." Setting the box down on the coffee table next to their game, the redhead dashed across the room and into the connected kitchen. "I'm watching you!"

"I was reaching for the pizza!" Beca laughed, rolling her eyes. With a happy sigh, Chloe rushed back into the room with a couple plates. Plopping on the couch, Chloe tucked her feet underneath of her and placed a couple slices on their plates. She had her hair in a loose ponytail, and was wearing blue Barden University sweatpants with a matching black BU sweatshirt.

"Does your person have… a moustache?" Chloe asked innocently, and the DJ quirked an eyebrow.

"Yes." Chloe smiled brightly, knocking several tiles down. Now only three were remaining. "Does your person wear glasses?"

"Aww…" Chloe pouted, and that was all the answer Beca needed. Two tiles flipped down, and only one remained.

"You have Samantha Redding." Beca stated triumphantly, and Chloe stuck her tongue out.

"Hmm… I demand a rematch!" The redhead commanded before taking a bite of pizza. They'd been playing 'Guess Who?' for the better part of an hour. Beca wasn't complaining though, it beat watching some lame romantic comedy. Although, Chloe did have _Monsters vs. Aliens_ playing on the television for 'background atmosphere' as she called it.

"So I can beat you again? Okay." The brunette grinned, relishing in the cheesy delight of her slice. Chloe giggled, shuffling the cards.

"Thanks for coming over. I'm sure you were busy. It is Saturday night after all." Chloe smiles shyly, tucking an escapee curl behind her ear.

"Yeah, you're keeping me away from taking an extra shift stacking CDs for three hours." Beca stated sarcastically, standing up and pretending to gather her stuff to leave. "What was I thinking spending my weekend actually having fun for once?" The dry tone resulted in a musical giggle, and Beca's stoic face tilted in a smirk.

"You're having fun?" Chloe questioned curiously, glancing around at the games they had set out. "Most people hate board games."

"Most people are complete morons." Beca pointed out cheekily, still standing up. Chloe grinned, raising an eyebrow.

"Aubrey can't stand these kinds of games."

"Example A." The brunette retorted instantly. The older girl laughed, snatching the bottom of Beca's shirt and yanking the DJ onto the couch next to her.

"Play nice." Chloe chimed, and they were extremely close.

"Never." Beca replied mischievously, a crooked smile on her face. "Hey look, you got Samuel Davis." She mentioned, seeing the card that Chloe already drew from the deck.

"Not anymore. Now I've got to redraw." Chloe laughed, although she made no motion to change their position. Instead, Chloe leaned into Beca's arm, wrapping her hands around the limb and cuddling into the warmth. With a content sigh, she closed her eyes and just listened to the background music. Beca had brought a mix with her, and Chloe was eager to put it on and listen to it. "I used to play Life and Monopoly all the time with my brothers and sister. They always cheated though. Just because I was the youngest didn't mean I couldn't count. And there's only so many times you can believe in the "banker's tax" before you begin to catch on."

"I didn't know there was a "banker's tax" in Monopoly?" Beca wondered aloud, her head tilting in confusion.

"Oh yeah, apparently the rule is, the youngest has to pay all the other players $100. And the banker decides when the tax goes into effect." The redhead pouted with her eyes still closed, her bottom lip jutting out. "I didn't win much." Beca attempted to stifle her chuckles, but Chloe opened her eyes and frowned. "So mean."

"I'm sorry." The DJ claimed between laughs, a grin adorning her features when Chloe curled against her side again.

"You're spending the night, right?" Chloe murmured sleepily, not even lifting her head.

"Uh, I wasn't planning on it." Beca admitted, frowning.

"Too bad. I'm not going to let you walk home alone. And don't worry, it's not like I bite or anything." There was some humor in the redhead's tone that made Beca quirk an eyebrow questioningly. "Usually…"

"Pizza's getting cold." Beca broke the tension, causing the older girl to internally groan. Chloe felt disheveled when the brunette hopped off the couch and took a bite of pizza while walking out of Chloe's sight.

"Hey, where are you going?" Chloe called from the couch, now just laying lazily by herself, pouting at the lack of warmth. "Beca?"

"Mmhmff…" The muffled sound wafted from the kitchen. Scrunching her eyebrows together and crinkling her nose, Chloe didn't have a clue what that was supposed to mean.

"Is that English?"

"Mmhmmuhumm…" Muttered again before Beca returned to the couch with a water in one hand and the crust of her pizza in the other. Sitting on the sofa, Beca was practically pushed up against the arm of the couch to put distance between her and Chloe. Visibly swallowing and taking a swig of water, Beca sighed. "I said I was getting some water."

"I see that now, Mitchell." Chloe stuck her tongue out teasingly before propping her chin up with her hand. "What are you doing all the way over there? I'm cold here."

"Sorry, didn't realize I was your personal heater." The sarcastic reply did little to deter Chloe's initial objective.

"You are." Chloe claimed, scooting over until she was nearly on the brunette's lap. "And as payment for your lapse in thinking, I'm commandeering the rest of your pizza." Leaning over, Chloe hadn't expected Beca to refuse so quickly.

"No way, Chlo. Not happening." The use of her nickname sent a warm tingling through Chloe's entire body, although that could have also been because she was reaching across the DJ, pressing their bodies very close together.

"Please?"

"Get your own."

"But mine is sooooo farrrr awayyyy." She half whined, pouting her lip out like a little kid. Beca smirked, rolling her eyes.

"Not gonna work."

"Why not?" The voice was tiny, as if it was a five year old instead of a twenty-one year old.

"Because I'm immune."

"Liar."

"Truther." Beca countered, blushing when Chloe stared at her straight in the eyes.

"That's the cutest thing I think you've ever said." The redhead stated seriously, resulting in a gruff scoff.

"Whatever." Taking a drink of her water, Beca pulled the pizza higher to keep it out of Chloe's reach.

"Please? Just on tiny little bite?" The redhead pleads, her blue eyes shining brightly as she stares into the navy irises of Beca. The brunette freezes from the pressure of Chloe's hands, which are pressed against Beca's toned stomach. Their faces are inches apart, and the warm breath between the two is inebriating.

"Where are you from?" The question tumbled out of the DJ's mouth like word vomit, shocking both her and the redhead. However, Beca kept her surprise hidden while Chloe blinked rapidly. "I'll let you have the pizza I mean… if you, uh, if you tell me where you're from." Beca back tracked, frantically trying to find a logical motive for her swift interest.

"You don't need to blackmail me to get to know me, silly." Chloe smiled contently, picking up the brunette's arm that was holding the water and placing it around her shoulders so Chloe could snuggle into Beca's side. "All you need to do is ask." Her pizza hand growing tired, Beca rested it on the arm of the sofa, attempting to ignore the satisfaction from having Chloe so close. "Stanton, South Carolina." Reaching one hand over until she claimed what was left of the slice of pizza, Chloe slowly nibbled on it while Beca remained silent. "It was my mom, dad, older sister, three older brothers, and me."

"Your parents must have been busy." Beca mumbled quietly, noticing a soft smile ghost across Chloe's face.

"Yeah. My dad ran the farm, and my mom tried to run the house. But… let's just say that my brothers were a handful. Especially the twins." Chloe laughed, patting Beca's knee in the process. "Grady and Jake always got in some sort of trouble. I remember when they were in high school; they made the taxidermy animals in the biology room talk. The teacher freaked out and screamed that the animals were finally coming back to life. The janitor found the speakers, and the principal called my parents." The redhead giggled, remembering her father's face. "My dad was so mad."

"I thought you'd be the wild one in the family." The DJ muttered absentmindedly, quirking an eyebrow when Chloe rolled her eyes.

"Well don't worry; Alan and Sarah are quite responsible and traditional." Chloe stuck her tongue out, but finished the pizza. "Alan is my other brother; he's the oldest of us all. Sarah is second in line, and then the twins. They're all graduated, except for Grady." She hummed, closing her eyes and snuggling deeper into the brunette's side. Beca still had her water in that hand, which Chloe took and did a quick drink.

"Nothing's sacred?" Beca inquired, but there was a playful note in her tone. Setting the water on the coffee table, they both just sat in their position. "Why isn't Grady graduated if his twin brother is?"

"Grady told my dad that he wanted to travel after high school. My dad nearly strangled him." The redhead let out a soft musical laugh. "But after a month of the cold shoulder, my dad softened up. Told Grady that if he was serious, then he'd respect his decision."

"What happened after that?"

"Jake went to college, and Grady went to Africa with the Red Cross. He's been doing that for four years. He loves it." Chloe found something incredibly… thrilling about talking to Beca. The DJ didn't interrupt, nor respond very much, but she listened. Chloe could tell by the way the DJ's fingers were drumming against Chloe's arm, and the shadowy expression on her face, that Beca was digesting every detail Chloe shared. It was refreshing to have someone actually listen and take to heart the words you were saying. _Most of my boyfriends just nodded and faked their way through it,_ Chloe thought to herself. _Wow, where did that come from? Why am I comparing Beca to my ex-boyfriends? _

"You okay, Chlo?" The tone of concern that Beca was poorly hiding made Chloe's heart swell. The DJ desperately attempted to remain aloof, but it wasn't working for her while she was around the redhead.

"Hmm? Yeah, I was just thinking… Am I talking too much? I feel like I'm practically preaching my origins to you."

"I like it when you talk." Beca felt her face heat up, but luckily, Chloe didn't lift her head from its resting spot on the DJ's shoulder.

"Why?" Chloe's question was greeted with silence. "Where are you from?" There was another pause of deafening silence before Beca sighed, glancing at the picture frames on the tables and walls. They mainly consisted of Chloe and Aubrey, but some of them contained, what Beca could only assume, family photos.

"Suburbs of Chicago, Detroit for a while, but mainly northern Michigan." Beca answered with a shrug, perplexed when she felt Chloe's hum radiate through her chest.

"Moved around a lot? Why?" It was an innocent inquiry, and Beca recognized that. But still, the brunette couldn't halt the guarded expression she adorned. Her body went rigid, and Beca's fingers started drumming rapidly. "Hey, it's alright." Chloe calmed gently, reaching up and grasping Beca's fidgeting hand. "You don't have to tell me. Just… talk to me. Who is Beca Mitchell?" Beca wanted to scoff, but she held it in for the redhead's sake.

"I'm Beca Mitchell. Who else?" The DJ remarked sarcastically, pleasantly astounded by the amused giggle she earned from the older girl.

"I'll go first, and then you go. Okay?" Without waiting for a reply, Chloe trudged on. "I have a cat at home named Sticky. He's black with white paws and a white mouth." Grinning triumphantly, Chloe glanced up at Beca, being greeted by an entertained smirk. "I named him Sticky, because Jake had climbed a tree to get him, and Sticky was covered in tree sap. So was Jake, but my mom insisted that we couldn't rename him."

"How old were you?" Beca chuckled, tilting her head.

"…It was my eighteenth birthday." Chloe replied as dignifiedly as possible.

"Well it's certainly… a creative name, I guess." Beca did her best to stifle her highly amused grin.

"Oh shut up, at least I didn't name him Maple." The redhead teased, much to Beca's pleasure. "Okay, your turn. It's not hard, just give it a try."

"Uh…" Beca blanked, unsure of what to say. After a moment of an extremely dumb expression, which Chloe found adorable, Beca returned to reality. "I like to snowboard. I actually had a part-time job at the resort. I'd give lessons and check the mountain for safety."

"Maybe you could teach me sometime?"

"Definitely." They continued to swap tidbits of information, little facts and quirks that no one really knew about them. Chloe explained how she grew up in a small town, the Beale name being a big deal, and how she always had a pressure to live up to the family status quo. Alan was a lawyer, graduating from Harvard. Sarah was a doctor, and gotten her degree from Columbia. Jake was an officer in the air force. Chloe admitted that she was mad when Jake first announced that he wanted to attend the academy, but she understood how determined he was. Still… she wished she could see him more. And with Grady traveling so much and spreading kindness across the world, her parents looked at each of their kids with such extreme pride. "I don't understand." Beca stated, turning her head to glance down at the girl resting against her side. The redhead smiled ruefully, but didn't meet the brunette's eyes.

"My parents were disappointed when I decided to go to Barden." Beca learned that Chloe was applying for admission into the Veterinary program. "But my mom felt better when I told her I wanted to be a vet. I guess as long as I have 'Doctor' in my name, they're happy."

"Dr. Beale… has a ring to it." Chloe giggled. The redhead finally managed to get Beca to open up, slightly but it was still improvement. "I never really had many friends."

"What? How could someone not love your charm?" Chloe gasped in mock shock, resulting in a lopsided grin from Beca.

"I know, right?" The DJ chuckled, shrugging her shoulders. "But after my parents divorced, things just seemed hollow."

"How old were you?"

"Ten." That was all Beca said before switching topics. It was like Chloe was granted a glance through a window in Beca's walls, and the redhead didn't push when Beca closed the curtains. Instead, she just listened as Beca quietly spoke about snowboarding, and her mixes, and told Chloe about the tattoo she had on her back.

"I noticed it in the shower." Chloe gave a sultry whisper.

"Got it when I was fifteen." Beca chuckled at the confused expression on the redhead's face. "Yes, illegally."

"You are a rebel."

"Seemed like a good idea at the time." The DJ explained sarcastically.

"How did you convince a tattooist to give a fifteen year old a tattoo of a lighter burning a bandaged heart?" Chloe interrogated skeptically, but she internally smiled at the soft grin on the normally stoic face. "I want to see it again."

"What?" Before Beca could entirely grasp what Chloe had said, the redhead was already untangling herself from the brunette's arm.

"I didn't get a good look at it before." The older girl claimed, grabbing the hem of Beca's shirt.

"Wow there, uh isn't this… I don't know, against my will?" The dry mirth caused Chloe to roll her eyes.

"Just bend down." The fiery redhead demanded, already pushing Beca so the DJ was touching her toes and her head hung over her knees.

"Where's my whistle…" Chloe heard the DJ mutter, but shook her head with a grin. As her well-manicured nails grazed Beca's skin, the freshman felt a shiver tremble up her spin. Chloe tenderly rolled the shirt up until it rested just below Beca's arms. Just like before, the black and grey tattoo appeared. Chloe had been so focused on getting the brunette to join the Bellas that she totally ignored the intricate design. It was on the left side of Beca's back, and the greyscale heart mirrored where the DJ's real heart was. The heart was battered, and it appeared that there were cuts and drops of black blood flowing down the heart. Wrapped around the organ was a white bandage, with the tail of the bandage hanging low enough to catch the licking flames from the lighter below. Squinting, Chloe leaned in closer, reading the word on the bandage.

"Titanium." She whispered, tracing the tattoo with her fingertip. "Because you're bullet proof?"

"And I've got nothing to lose. So fire away…" Beca spoke the lyrics in a cold voice.

"Fire away." Chloe agreed, replacing the DJ's shirt back into its proper placement. "It's beautiful. Did it hurt?"

"No. By that time, I was already—"

"Titanium." Chloe finished for Beca, earning her an unreadable expression. It was already two in the morning, and they'd been talking for hours. Leaning into the brunette, Chloe whispered in her ear. "You know you have to stay now."

"I don't have to do anything." Beca responded immediately.

"No, but you will." Chloe claimed confidently. Beca quirked an eyebrow, but remained stoic. "Come on, let's go to bed. I'm exhausted."

"I'll sleep on the couch."

"But who'll keep me warm? Please?"

"Chloe—"

"We're friends, right? So trust me." Chloe stood up, offering a hand to Beca. The shorter girl contemplated her choices, but accepted the gesture. As Chloe walked to her room, she dragged Beca behind her like a lost puppy. "Tomorrow's Sunday, so neither of us are going to wake up early. That alright?"

"Sure." Beca was stiff and rigid as Chloe tossed her a pair of sweats and a T-shirt. As the redhead changed right in front of her, Beca did her best to hide the blush on her face.

"You going to change, Bec?" The innocent question resonated in the DJ's mind, ricocheting off the walls of her cranium until she just dumbly nodded. Chloe had already gotten in bed and made herself comfortable, patting the spot next to her as she adjusted her pillow. With a yawn, the redhead smiled when Beca nervously pulled the covers up around them. "You going to be stiff as a board all night?"

"Yes." The dry, sarcastic comment made Chloe giggle.

"Fine. As long as you stay hot." Chloe didn't mean for it to sound like that, but she didn't want to take it back either. "Goodnight, Bex."

"Yeah, you too, Chlo." The older girl grinned as she drifted off.

**LINE BREAK**

"_Morning Bec." Chloe smiled brightly as she set her coffee down on the bedside table. _

"_Mmm… Babe, it's way too early for this." Beca groaned, covering her head with her pillow. Chloe giggled, hopping on the bed and straddling the brunette's waist. _

"_No it's not." Chloe teased, pulling the pillow out of the other girl's grasp. _

"_Not fair."_

"_It wouldn't feel so early if you didn't stay up all night making mixes." Chloe leaned forwards, resting her hands on either side of Beca's head. _

"_Naw, I'm pretty sure it'd still feel early." Beca said with a smug grin, her eyes widening when Chloe lets out a moan. _

"_God, that half smirk. Do you have any idea how sexy that is?" Chloe hissed, her lips hovering inches above the brunettes._

"_Not a clue." Beca replied with an aloof smile. _

"_There you go and do it again." Chloe complained, her tone thick with desire._

"_Well Dr. Beale, do something about it." The DJ challenged, propping herself up on her elbows. Chloe leaned forward, capturing the sexy DJ off guard as she pressed their lips together._

"Oh my God." Chloe's eyes shot open, and her breathing was in short pants. She couldn't believe that'd just happened. Wrapping herself closer to her pillow, she rested her head back on the… pillow? Glancing down, Chloe saw that she'd been sleeping practically on top of the smaller girl, and her arms were laced around the brunette's waist. Her face shaded a dark red, which only deepened as she realized that her entire bed now smelled of the intoxicating aroma of Beca Mitchell. "Why do you have to be so sexy?" Chloe complained to her sleeping friend, sighing as she rested her head back on the DJ's shoulder. Closing her eyes, the redhead attempted to calm her racing heart. But with the silence, Chloe started to make out some mumbling. "That's so cute…" She whispered to herself, hearing Beca's still slumber induced gibberish.

"Stillangrashaguta…" Beca muttered in a muffled tone, her one arm draped around the redhead's shoulder.

"Hmm… I wonder if you ever really relax? Any answers for me Beca?" Chloe asked the sleeping form. "I wonder if… no, it's just a silly crush." Chloe told herself, almost laughing at the fact that she was having this conversation while nearly atop the brunette. "We're friends, right?"

"Huh…?" Beca stirred, rubbing her head with her free hand. "Chlo, did you say something about friends?"

"Oh uh, no nothing…" The redhead frantically covered, but her nervousness made the sleepy DJ suspicious.

"Well, whatever. I guess you were right though." Beca yawned, but found that she couldn't really move because of the redhead's position.

"What do you mean?" The jumpy question flittered off with a half giggle.

"We became fast friends. Not that you really gave me a choice." Beca chuckled. Chloe felt herself cheer internally because Beca saw them as friends, and her soul did a summersault. "I should really get to the radio station for my shift."

"Aww… well I'll see you later, right? We'll work on the Bellas."

"Greeaat…" Beca sighed sarcastically.

"You love it." Chloe teased, deciding to let Beca free. Unwinding herself, Chloe watched as Beca rolled out of bed and stretched.

"Dr. Beale, you have no evidence." Beca smirked, tilting her head smugly. Chloe froze, that expression immediately resurfacing her dream. Beca looked really hot… "I'll see you for lunch? Then we'll do that 'dancing' thing afterwards. Deal?"

"Um, yeah… text me." Chloe blinked, watching Beca leave and go into the bathroom, inevitably to change. Letting go of a breath, Chloe jolted straight up when she heard her door open.

"Uh, sorry… I just… I realized that I don't have your number." Beca chuckled, her shy laugh coming across as charming.

"Guess you might need that. Here." Chloe walked over to her desk and wrote her number down on a sticky note. With sticky note in hand, Chloe stuck it to Beca's forehead before the brunette could grab it. "That way you don't forget."

"Like I would." Beca paled slightly after she said that. She shrugged it off, not paying attention to the wide grin on Chloe's face. "I better go." After a couple minutes, Chloe heard the front door to her apartment close. Groaning, she splayed out on her bed.

"Oh no… this is bad." Covering her face with an arm, Chloe let out a loud sigh. "I've got the hots for Beca Mitchell."

**LINE BREAK**

"Hey, how's the dark and mysterious Beca today?" Jesse grinned, not missing the smirk on the brunette's face. "Someone's in a good mood."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yeah right. Sunshine is practically bursting from you. It's so bright, I've gotta wear shades." He laughed, pretending to shield his eyes.

"Stop quoting 80's songs, Jesse." Beca scoffed, giving him an eye roll.

"No way, bro. Not until you fess up. Did you get laid finally?" He asked excitedly, sounding more like a thirteen year old boy than a college student.

"What do you mean by finally?" Beca hiked an eyebrow, an amused smirk in place.

"No changing the subject." He pouted, jutting his bottom lip out.

"You're more happy than normal. So what about you? Did you get laid, _bro_?" Beca played along, but was surprised by how easily their conversation was flowing.

"As a matter of fact… No, I didn't. I kinda like someone." He shyly scratched the back of his neck. Beca wanted to laugh, but just nodded smugly.

"Blonde? Tall? Controlling, traditional, and so very annoying?" Beca did laugh when Jesse's eyes opened wide.

"How did you?"

"The party, remember?" Beca rolled her eyes at his blank expression. "You were drunk, and started to rant about how 'hot' Aubrey Posen was. Dude, I was not drunk enough for any of that."

"Oh, well… uh, do you approve?" His eyes searched for some sign of acceptance.

"It doesn't matter, Jesse." She shrugged, jumping a step backwards when Jesse walked to her with open arms. "No." Beca deadpanned.

"Just one hug?"

"No." Beca stated again. "You've got to man up if you want Aubrey Posen, bro." Jesse brightened considerably, especially when Beca seemed to resign to the fact that she called him _bro_… twice.

**LINE BREAK**

"Coffee used to be illegal in Tasmania." Fat Amy told the group. Stacie had just taken a sip, her long, sweltering moan attracting many stares from surrounding patrons. Cynthia-Rose stared unabashedly at the girl, and Stacie set her cup down.

"Who would outlaw coffee?" She protested, twirling her cup around while directing a lustful gaze at a man across the shop.

"It was that or drugs. The government thought mixing them would make people too hyper." Everyone at the table shared glances.

"Hello ladies, anything else?" The waiter smiled politely at them, scratching his head at the group.

"Yeah, a number 2, 7, and 8 on the lunch menu." Fat Amy ordered, looking to the other girls. "Anything for you guys?"

"I'll have one of those warm brownie things." Stacie ordered, winking suggestively at him. He nervously wrote it down, almost scratching through the paper.

"A chocolate milkshake." Cynthia-Rose ordered.

"Banana bread." Lilly whispered.

"What?" The waiter asked, seeing the girl's lips moved but not hearing anything.

"Huh—Banana bread." She said again, and luckily, everyone had fallen quiet to attempt to hear. He nodded, writing it down.

"I'd really like a strawberry smoothie." Jessica hummed happily, resting her chin on her hand.

"Low-Fat milk, please." Denise ordered next.

"Just another water." Ashley said, and turned to Chloe who was next to her. Nudging the girl out of her daydream, Ashley giggled and raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, uh… Can I just get a black coffee to-go?" Chloe smiled brightly, batting her eyelashes innocently.

"Y-yeah… uh, order'll be right up, ladies." The waiter muttered dumbly before turning around, shaking his head at the odd group.

"To-go, huh? Who's it for…?" Ashley's index finger traced the brim of her glass as she pretended to be bored.

"Yeah, sorry ginger but you don't strike me as anything less than a latte type girl." The Tasmanian informed, staring Chloe down from across the table.

"It's not for me. I'm just meeting someone later." Chloe sighed, laughing at how snoopy her friends were. Her phone buzzed, distracting the redhead from the conversation.

'_My shift's almost over. Meet at Scotty's?—BexM'_ Chloe grinned at the text, shaking her blush off.

"Oh my God, I know that look!" Stacie screeched, almost launching over the table in an attempt to grab Chloe's phone. The redhead jumped, yanking her cell a safe distance from the sexual girl. "Who is it? Are you hooking up? Is it serious?"

"What are you talking about?" The senior denied, but Chloe's voice pitched a little higher than normal.

"First sign of denial." Ashley smirked, drumming her fingers on the table. Chloe opened her mouth to protest, but Ashley peaked at the phone. "Who's BexM?"

"BexM?" The other Bellas repeated in confusion, not having heard anyone by that.

"Sounds kinda hot." Stacie winked at Chloe, who flushed an even brighter shade of scarlet, nearly matching her hair. "You're totally in crush-land."

"Who's got you wrapped around their finger?" Cynthia-Rose wondered, and they all piped down as the waiter brought everyone's order.

"Okay so I have a 2, 7, and 8." He handed the plates over to Amy. "And a Brownie Blast dessert for you." Stacie rubbed his hand suggestively as he tried to pass her the treat. "Alright, now I have a chocolate milkshake, a banana bread, strawberry smoothie, Low-Fat milk, another water, and… a black coffee to-go." He sighed tiredly, done passing out the orders. "Anything else?"

"Can I borrow your pen?" Ashley asked, to which the waiter tentatively handed her. Without hesitation, Ashley grabbed the to-go coffee and wrote on it before giving the pen back. "K, we're all good." He left, bewildered by the strange women. Chloe glared at the girl, before turning the cup so she could see what was written on it.

"_Hey hottie_? Really, you guys?" Chloe groaned, seeing if she could smear the writing. No luck.

"Nice one, Ash." Stacie laughed, leaning forward against the table so her breasts pushed up. "Okay Chloe, make sure you use your assets."

"This is ludicrous." The redhead groaned, standing up with the coffee. "I'm leaving. See you tomorrow, girls. It's been fun."

"We want details tomorrow!" Stacie shouted after the senior.

"I wonder if Aubrey knows who Chloe's crush is." Lilly whispered, and everyone just glanced around.

"What? Alright Bellas, we have a new mission. To find out who this guy is." Amy announced, taking a bite of her food.

"Should we follow her?" Ashley asked, earning a couple of disturbed glances.

"I used to watch people to learn their ways." Lilly whispered again. Still nothing.

"Well… we could follow her. Or!" Fat Amy pointed her fork at everyone. "We could finish lunch."

"Lunch." Everyone stated unanimously.

**LINE BREAK**

"Hey, you weren't waiting long, I hope." Chloe apologized as she entered the diner. Scotty's was one of the best soup and sandwich shops on campus. Beca stood up from her chair, directing a crooked smirk at the redhead, unaware of the effect it had on Chloe.

"Nope… You brought coffee?" Beca tilted her head, and Chloe just giggled, holding the cup out to the brunette.

"Actually, I brought you coffee." Chloe realized that it was a little redundant to bring a coffee to a diner. Beca took the cup, grinning as it burned her throat.

"Thanks." The DJ was grateful. Not necessarily for the coffee, but just grateful for the fact that Chloe had thought about her. The more Beca pondered, the worse her addiction to Chloe became. But they were friends… hopefully good friends, but just friends? Shaking her head from the confusing and frustrating thoughts, Beca listened intently as Chloe began to speak.

"So how's the radio station going?"

"Fantastic. Turns out Jesse can invent new ways of being annoying." Beca informed Chloe sarcastically. Taking another drink, Beca tilted the cup back, pausing as she saw some writing on the cup. "Hey hottie? Uh Chloe, did they reuse this cup or something?" The DJ twisted the cup in her hand, glancing at Chloe in befuddlement.

"Uh, no. The guy wrote it when he gave it to me." Chloe new it was wrong to lie, but she didn't want Beca to know that she was the one that Chloe was seriously crushing on. The redhead saw Beca's eyes flash with something, but became unreadable a second later.

"Okay." There was no questioning, or interrogation. Somehow, Chloe felt disappointed. "You ready to order?"

"Yeah…"

**LINE BREAK**

About a month later…

"I should have taken that cardio tip more seriously." Fat Amy panted as they finished their practice of _Turn the Beat Around_, for what felt like the hundredth time.

"How much have you done?" Aubrey sighed, shaking her head in disappointment.

"You just saw it." Fat Amy answered; however, Aubrey was talking to Chloe.

"Chloe, you need to be able to hit that last note." Aubrey walked over to the table to grab her water.

"I'm trying, but I can't. It's impossible. It's because of my nodes…" She trailed off. Ever since she admitted that she had vocal nodules three weeks ago, Chloe had been doing her best to still continue her singing, but it was becoming worse and even more painful.

"Well, if you can't do it, then someone else needs a solo." Aubrey turned back towards the group, taking a long sip of her water.

"I think Beca should take my solo." Chloe told the blonde, almost resulting in Aubrey choking on her water.

"Yeah, Beca would be excellent. But also, someone else might be equally as excellent."

"That's true." Beca pointed her thumb at Fat Amy, who continued on with her point.

"But they might be shy, and might not want to come forward and say they wanted a solo." Fat Amy trailed off, and Aubrey smiled merrily.

"Well, Beca doesn't want a solo, so…" Aubrey shrugged, grinning at the group.

"I'd be happy to do it, if I got to pick a song and do an arrangement." The DJ responded honestly. Aubrey's polite smile tightened.

"Well that's not how we run things here." She shrugged, setting her water down.

"Aubrey, maybe Beca has a point. Maybe we should try something new." Chloe wanted nothing more than to improve their chances of winning, but it was becoming more difficult with the dictatorship they were under.

"Aca-scuse me?" The blonde stared at her best friend and co-captain, her official smile still planted falsely on her face. "You can sing _Turn the Beat Around_, and that's the last I want to hear of this." The Bellas started to disperse, but Beca stepped forward. Aubrey was so stubborn.

"That song is old and tired. If we pull songs from different genres and layer them together, we could make—"

"Okay, let me explain something to you because you don't seem to get it." Aubrey cut off the brunette, gesturing for Beca to stop talking. "Our goal is to get back to the finals. And these songs will get us there. So excuse me if I don't take advice from some alt girl with her MadLib beats because she's never been in a competition. Have I made myself clear?" She stared directly into Beca's eyes, and the brunette took a step backwards with her smug smirk.

"Crystal. I won't solo." Beca conceded, turning around and walking to the back of the group. She needed a breather. She felt Amy pat her on the arm as she passed, but Beca didn't care. Aubrey had something about her that made Beca innately defiant and mad, although the brunette already knew why. Aubrey and Diane were so similar…

"Fine." Aubrey said, watching the brunette walking away. That girl had such a way of crawling under her skin… "Fat Amy?"

"Yes, Sir?" Fat Amy's attention shot back up to Aubrey, and there was a note of nervousness.

"You'll solo."

"Yes…" Fat Amy cheered, before clapping her hands once in excitement and looked at the other girls. "Yeahsss!" Grabbing her water, Beca walked back up to the group, a smirk on her face. Practice was over for the day, so people started to clear out.

"Beca, I'm sorry about Aubrey. She's just… really stressed about Regionals." Chloe apologized for the blonde, aware that she'd been doing that a lot lately.

"It's not your fault, Chlo." Beca had taken to using Chloe's nickname more often. They'd grown pretty close and comfortable in the last month, much to Aubrey's displeasure. "Some people just need that power." Beca mumbled offhandedly.

"You sound like your speaking from experience." Chloe tilted her head, her red curls bouncing slightly.

"Aubrey reminds me of… someone." That's all Beca said before she left for class. The girl was still a mystery to Chloe.

**LINE BREAK**

After Regionals…

The TrebleMakers were walking down the stairs, celebrating their victory. The Bellas were behind them, dreading the bus ride back. Beca felt lucky that they even got second place, considering the judges didn't look too enthusiastic about their performance. All they really did was beat some sock puppets. Descending the stairs, the Bellas saw the TrebleMakers getting into it with some of the graduates. Beca cringed, wincing at the song the old guys were attempting to a cappella to. It was a train wreck.

"Come on ladies, let's go to the bus." Aubrey commanded, which Beca barely managed to stop herself from snarling at. The blonde's orders were grating on her last nerve. Beca had never allowed anyone to tell her what to do, and now Aubrey was acting like she was the boss of their lives. Filing down the staircase, they began walking pass the first generation Trebles and next generation.

"I am not going to fight you." Beca heard Jesse tell the creepy looking guy, who was begging Jesse to hit him with the trophy.

"Come on, be a man. I know you want to." The guy insisted, trying to take the trophy and demonstrate.

"No way." Jesse set the trophy down, holding his hands up.

"I've wrestled dingoes and crocodile simultaneously." Fat Amy informed their group, but the Bellas still tried to just walk out. All of a sudden, an awkward version of hell broke loose.

"Let's bring it on!" Donald found himself in an uncomfortable wrestling position with the older black guy. From that point, the old guys tried to slap around with some of the Trebles, Jesse being the unlucky one to get stuck with the sadistic psycho.

"Hit me, right here. Take your fist and punch me right in the face." The guy egged Jesse one, whom glanced around for some help. As the guy was backing up, attempting to grab Jesse's hand and demonstrate where he wanted him to hit, the guy stumbled into the Bellas. "My bad, Red." He said, scraping a lecherous stare up and down Chloe. Beca had enough, and her anger boiled over. Even in the humiliating flight attendant costume, the DJ didn't care. As the guy walked back to Jesse, his face was red with his taunts. "Hit me! Shove my head in a meat grinder. Smack me with a pipe. Just let me feel something!"

"Dude—" Jesse was about to tell him to back off again, when he saw Beca tap on the guy's shoulder. To everyone's shock, she threw a right hook straight to his jaw, sending him to the ground.

"Wow!" He cheered insanely, standing up. "That felt amazing!"

"Holy shit…" Beca winced, holding her fist. It's been a while since she'd punched anything, and her hand throbbed.

"Hit me again." He begged, his eyes dancing with more joy when Fat Amy came into the picture.

"Feel the fat power!" She announced, hopping into the fight.

"Fat Amy, kick me in the balls!" He pleaded, and his wish was granted. A second later, a heel connect with his groin. Beca jumped up when she saw Fat Amy grabbing the trophy.

"Amy, no!" Beca was hoping to avoid her friend being brought up on charges of assault with a deadly weapon (was a trophy considered a deadly weapon), and they fought for control of the prize.

"I want to shove it up his butt." Fat Amy explained, not that that made Beca more inclined to release her grip. Everyone moved in fast motion, and Fat Amy's grip on the trophy released as it broke into two pieces, her end flying through a full pane window. Beca stood there, holding the other part of the weapon. Just her luck, a policeman was right outside, writing a ticket for some stupid looking van. "Vertical running!" The Tasmanian shouted from down the hallway. Everyone split up, and Beca sighed as the police officer put her in handcuffs.

"Great…" She muttered to herself as she was shoved inside the cop car. She saw Chloe staring at the car, her face full of guilt and worry. Resting her head on the back of the seat, the brunette closed her eyes as they pulled away for the station.

**LINE BREAK**

"Thank God…" Beca mumbled as she was released. Immediately checking her phone, she saw that she had a text message.

'_Beca, we were going to go to the police station, but Jesse said he had it covered. Text me so I know you're okay.—Chlo xoxo'_ Beca smirked at the message, heading out into the fresh air.

"Hey Hilary Swipe for a million dollar baby." Jesse laughed as Beca came out of the police station, handcuff free.

"You know you can just say 'Hey million dollar baby' you don't actually need to reference a specific actress." The recently released criminal told him, pretending to throw some punches.

"Damn, prison changed you." Jesse teased as they walked to the parking lot.

"Thanks for bailing me out." Beca was honestly relieved to be out of that dirty cell. Turns out, quite a few people had been arrested today, and the female cell was crowded. Beca didn't feel like her usual badass self while dressed up in a flight attendant suit.

"Actually, I didn't." Just as he said that, Beca's face fell into a crestfallen expression.

"Rebeca, get in the car, now."

"You called my dad?" Beca whipped around to Jesse, anger so unmasked in her eyes that Jesse was frozen.

"Well, yeah. They were putting you in handcuffs, Beca. I thought it was pretty serious." He defended himself, putting his hands up and taking a step back.

"That doesn't mean you call my dad." The brunette's tone was cold and harsh, almost burning Jesse with its venom.

"Who else was I going to call?" He asked honestly, but the only answer was a locked jaw. "I was only trying to help."

"Car. Now." Daniel Mitchell demanded, standing beside his vehicle. Jesse hung his head, now regretting that he accepted Professor Mitchell's offer for a ride. "Could you give us a minute alone, Jesse?" With a nod, the boy got in the backseat. He stared out the window, witnessing as Mr. Mitchell walked up to Beca with crossed arms.

"Dad, let me explain—"

"Don't bother. It was a mistake. This was a mistake. I should have never let Sheila talk me into letting you come to Barden." Despite the incorrectness of his statement, and the blatant lie implying 'let,' Beca still felt a sting. "Get in the car. We'll talk about this later."

"Whatever." Beca slammed the passenger's side door closed as she got in, buckling up before her father even sat down. The ride was mostly silent, until Barden started to come into view. It was as if the reminder had triggered another wave of disappointment and bitterness in Daniel.

"How do I explain this? What do I say when my colleagues bring up that my daughter is a juvenile delinquent? Do you ever think, or do you just enjoy getting into trouble?" His rant filled the quiet, and Jesse slunk further into his seat. He could see Beca's stoic face in the side mirror's reflection, and he suddenly felt bad… guilty… totally wrong. He shouldn't have called Professor Mitchell. But he was her dad… didn't that mean something? "You just couldn't pretend for one year? Pretend that you're competent, capable, willing to improve society. That's all I had asked for. Sheila complained on and on and on that we should spend more time together. Well if this is what I missed the last eight years, no wonder Lynn killed herself!" Daniel knew he did it again, the moment the words left his mouth. He regretted it, yet still… he felt a slight relief to have gotten some reaction out of his daughter. They were stopped at a red light.

"Fuck you." Beca didn't yell or scream or cry, but her voice was void of any emotion.

"Wait, I didn't mean—" But the door opened, and Beca had already gotten out. "You come back here right now, Rebeca. Beca, I mean it!" Daniel shouted after his daughter, his face going red from the exertion.

"You are not the boss of me, and you never were." Beca smirked at him, flicking her dad off before walking through the park with her heels in her hand.

"The insolent child." He hissed. Glancing in the rearview mirror, he took a deep breath in an attempt to settle his anger. "Thank you for contacting me, Jesse. It was very mature of you."

"Professor Mitchell, if you wouldn't mind, I think I'll walk from here." Jesse started to unbuckle, but the car lurched forwards.

"Nonsense, we're almost to your dorm." Daniel sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Sir, uh… Beca was arrested because some guys started a fight, and she was trying to keep anyone from getting hurt." Jesse explained, hoping maybe Mr. Mitchell would understand.

"That doesn't matter. Her criminal record won't say 'for noble cause' on it, so I don't see any difference."

"The DA said that the charges were most likely going to be dropped." Jesse defended, thankful when the car finally parked outside his dorm.

"I understand you're trying to stick up for her, son. But Beca has always had a problem with rules, and it's no surprise she finally got caught up with the law because of it." Daniel Mitchell growled, glancing at Jesse again. "Thank you again, and goodnight."

"Goodnight, Sir." Jesse mumbled as he got out and shuffled back to his dorm. As he opened the door to his room, he saw Benji sitting on his Star Wars bed.

"Rough?" Benji asked compassionately, observing as Jesse practically collapsed on his bed.

"Horrible. Beca hates me, and I can't blame her. I didn't know Professor Mitchell was that bad." Jesse gave a frustrated groan. "Benji, he was awful. I thought I was about to cry, I have no clue how Beca's doing. She was so mad when I told her I called him. She's going to hate me for forever."

**LINE BREAK**

Beca had walked three miles to her dorm, barefoot. But it was better than spending one more second in that car. Her hand ached, but every fiber in her body was tense and bursting with rage. She was so angry… at everything and everyone, for no particular reason. She hated it when she got like this. Beca knew that it was irrational, and she had always tried to keep her feeling as far from her as possible. But her father… he struck a chord. And that chord was fraying at a dangerous rate, ready to snap and decapitate anyone within range. As she finally made the final steps to her room, she opened it up.

"Hey!" All the Bellas cheered simultaneously. Beca plastered on her smirk, pretending to be cocky. It was easier.

"What up, Shawshank? You get yourself a bitch?" Cynthia-Rose asked, playing with the fringed edges of a blanket.

"Did they spray you with a hose?" Fat Amy wondered curiously, anticipating an answer.

"I did a turn at county." Lilly mumbled, and everyone just paused to see if her words had actually registered. Nope, no one could hear her.

"You guys waited up for me?" Beca was genuinely confused. They were all there, splayed on her bed, the floor, and her desk.

"Of course we waited up for you." Chloe stared straight into the brunette's eyes, and she was stunned to see that Beca was vulnerable. The redhead hadn't seen that expression of being at the 'end of your rope' in Beca's eyes before, but it was clear as day. Concern quickly welled up inside the senior, and she had to restrain herself from engulfing Beca into a hug.

"They've been here for hours. It's a real inconvenience, _Beca_." Kimmy Jin's arrogant tone was much grumpier than normal. Apparently the Asian girl highly valued her sleep. In a huff, she left the room, slamming the door behind her.

"Beca, I'm glad you're here." Aubrey said, and Beca glared at the blonde sitting at her desk. Beca's desk. Beca's sacred mixing spot.

"I live here, so yeah…" She grumbled sarcastically, her voice far more confrontational than usual. This threw Aubrey back for a second, before she decided to continue on, ignoring the interruption.

"I'm calling an emergency Bellas meeting." Aubrey stood up, and there were groans of protest by Amy and Cynthia-Rose, among others. Lilly might have been whining, but no one could hear it. "First up, our score sheet revealed that the Sockapellas almost beat us. Fat Amy, you need to do it exactly as we've rehearsed it. No surprises."

"We should be taking risks. It's not enough to be good, we need to put ourselves out there… be different." At the mention of being different, Beca could almost visibly see Aubrey's nostrils flare.

"Beca's right, the Trebles never sing the same song twice." Cynthia-Rose agreed, and Aubrey looked about ready to hurl.

"The audience loved the Trebles. They tolerate us." When Beca voiced that, Aubrey's face twisted into the most painful smile possible. "We could change the face of a capell—oh fuck, that sounded so dorky. What's happening to me?" The brunette walked forwards to her desk chair, slumping into the familiar seat. Chloe muffled her giggle at the DJ's comment, finding it extremely adorable. "Umm… Let me show you this arrangement I've been working on." Chloe got off the bed and walked closer, leaning comfortably against the desk. She was curious which one Beca was referring to… or if she'd heard it yet.

"Her mixes are pretty great." The redhead prophesized to Aubrey, yearning that her best friend would take the hint.

"Okay, I have the pitch pipe, and I say that we focus on the set list as planned." The blonde leader announced, her gaze directly burrowing into Beca.

"But Aubrey, this stuff is pretty cool—" Chloe resigned when Aubrey interrupted her.

"From now on, there will be no more wasting time with work, or school, or boyfriends, or partners, I'm sorry Cynthia-Rose." Cynthia-Rose glanced down at the blanket awkwardly, shaking her head.

"Aubrey, maybe we should—" Chloe attempted again, but was cut off.

"Okay, rehearsal tomorrow. Eight a.m., sharp." The blonde dictator proclaimed, leaving no room for discussion. Chloe glanced at Beca, who was still sitting at the desk.

"Yeah, not happening." Aubrey spun so fast on her heel that everyone almost thought she would make herself sick. Chloe stared, shocked at Beca. The brunette had a way of rubbing Aubrey wrong, but she wasn't usually openly hostile.

"Aca-scuse me?" Aubrey blanched, placing a hand on her hip.

"It's already one in the morning. Your practice isn't going to do any good if we're all sleep walking." The blonde's jaw tightened, and Fat Amy could almost cut the tension with a spoon.

"I didn't hear anyone else complaining."

"Shocker. I'm sure you don't hear much from anyone on your high horse."

"I'm going to leave, and pretend that you didn't say that. I suggest you do the same." Aubrey harrumphed, heading out the door. Everyone else filed out, and soon Beca was just left in the room full of silence. That is, until she heard the door close.

"Hey, you alright?" Chloe squats down in front of Beca, taking the brunette's hands. "Want to talk about it?"

"Chloe, I just need some space." The DJ grumbled, spinning around in her chair to break the physical contact. After placing her headphones on, Beca figured that Chloe would take the hint. However, two delicate hands removed the blaring headphones, and Beca growled. "I'm fine. Can't you just back off?"

"You're not fine. You're hurting. I can see it, Bex." Going to the brunette's dresser, Chloe picked out a pair of sweatpants and a shirt. "Put these on, and we'll talk."

"You can't make me." Beca grumbled defiantly.

"I'm not going to." This seemed to defuse some of the tension, but Beca still cautiously dressed, not comfortable with Chloe still in the room. "Don't you feel better?"

"Yeah, great. You can go now." The sarcasm was raw, and Chloe could feel how forced it was.

"Not so fast, Mitchell. Lay down." Chloe guided Beca onto the bed, and quickly rested her redhead on Beca's shoulder. Whenever they spent the night, they always laid the same way. "What happened today? After Jesse bailed you out."

"You knew he called my dad?" Beca started to get up, however, Chloe was quicker. The older girl tugged on Beca's shirt, holding her in place.

"No, I didn't. The Bellas were about to go over to the station, but Jesse told me he already had it covered." The brunette calmed slightly, and Chloe was grateful. "You need to talk about it."

"No, I don't." The stubborn reply came immediately.

"You don't start fights. You don't seek anyone out to trade blows with. But tonight, you instigated Aubrey. That's not like you Beca, we both know it." With a soothing hum, the redhead hugged Beca gently. "Did something happen?"

"… You could say that. My dad… he just said some stuff that… it…"

"Hurt?" Chloe offered, and she could feel Beca nod.

"It's stupid. He hasn't been a part of my life for eight years, and suddenly he thinks he can order me around. He means nothing to me, so I shouldn't care about his opinions. I don't care. But when he mentioned my mom, I don't know. Everything just really sucked after that." Beca stumbled through her explanation, and it wasn't hard to tell that the girl didn't open up often.

"What did he say?" There was silence. For the last month, whenever Chloe had asked a question that was too personal, Beca would answer it with silence. And she figured this would be the same. That is, until the DJ let out a tired sigh.

"It was stupid."

"Not to you, and not to me." Chloe assured warmly, giving a squeeze of encouragement.

"He just said that if this is how I acted for the past eight years of my life, then it's no wonder… Damn it, I don't want to say it Chloe. Because if I talk about it, then you'll know, and if you know…"

"I'm not going to use it to hurt you. I wouldn't do that. Trust me?"

"He said that it's no wonder she killed herself." The redhead paused, paralyzed. She knew Beca was hurting, but that was a lot of hurt. Chloe opened her mouth, about to say something, when Beca just shook her head. "No, don't. I don't want pity, or sympathy. I'm over it." That was a complete lie, and Chloe was aware that they both knew it.

"How did it happen?"

"She just… drank. I came home, and she was lying on the floor. The police report states 'accidental suicide' but… she knew her alcohol. When you spend nearly a decade as an alcoholic, you tend to catch on to when enough is enough." Her voice was detached, indifferent, but Chloe could tell just how hard the brunette was trying to keep it that way. "Halfway through senior year." Shaking her head, Beca scoffed at herself. "I'm tired, Chlo. Can we not continue this conversation some other time?" This wasn't a conversation that was likely to pop up again, or soon, so Chloe figured she might as well ask one last question.

"Why would she do it?"

"Goodnight, Chloe." Beca stated, and the redhead hit a wall. The DJ was done sharing, and there was no way to change that. Settling in, Chloe allowed herself to drift off. She was tired too, and she had been terrified for Beca.

"You're titanium." Chloe whispered before completely fading into sleep.

* * *

**So, there you have it. Who is this Diane person? Why did Beca's mom drink so much? What was that eight year period of Beca's life really like? There are mysteries everywhere! Haha, and the more reviews I get and PM, the quicker you all find out. Thanks for the support, and time. Have a nice day/night everyone. I am tired, so I hope there aren't many mistakes (I really hate it when they slip in there). This isn't my normal length of a chapter, and I apologize if it's too long for some of you. I know that my eyes start to get a little tired if I stare at the screen too long. **

******REVIEW, follow, alert, PM**** **

**(Because I know you are all awesome)**

**-JZ**


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